The Announcement
by randommonks
Summary: An extra twist to the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games leaves Katniss with an extra dilemma.  Main story is Complete and alternate endings have been added!
1. Chapter 1: Katniss

_The Announcement:_

_"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, four tributes will be reaped from each District, one male and one female from the regular pool of children, and one male and one female from the existing pool of victors. To demonstrate that the fate of each District ties back to the Capitol, tributes will be randomly chosen to be paired with another tribute from a different district. In continuation of last year's popular decision, the Quarter Quell will have two victors, but paired tributes will be required to survive together to win. Should the pairing fail, should one tribute fall before his partner, both tributes will perish."_

On the train back to the Capitol, we watched a recap of the Reapings. The brother and sister pair of victors from One; the brutes from Two; the woman who mumbled to herself as she took the stage in Three; the withered old woman who volunteered in Four; a drunk who could rival Haymitch in Five; the duo whose eyes never seemed to focus on anything in particular in Six; a victor I recognized from an earlier Game in Seven; the three kids who clung to the skirt of the woman reaped in Eight. We missed much of the recap of Nine and Ten, thanks to Haymitch, who burst into the room, and promptly threw up all over the back of the sofa. By the time the attendants had dragged him back to his room, and brought us new furniture to sit on, we had just caught the reaping of a 12 year old girl from Eleven, oddly reminiscent of Prim. I left the room at that point, unable to stomach watching myself, Peeta (volunteering in place of Haymitch), a girl who's name I had already forgotten who was in Prim's year, and Rory Hawthorne be reaped.

Rory, I knew, was a special treat from Snow to me. He somehow knew of my attachment to Gale, my confused feelings for him. Who would I choose to save, Peeta or Rory, and, by extension, Gale?

I had hoped that I would get paired with someone I wouldn't care for. Someone I would have no compunction about getting killed when I had to sacrifice myself.

I would get my wish. During the opening ceremonies, we would share a chariot with our arena partner. I was matched with Cato, the non-victor tribute from District 2.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Takes place at the same time as Catching Fire. I resued names and characters from Hunger Games and Catching Fire, so in this AU, Katniss and Peeta fought against an entirely different crew in their first round of the Hunger Games. This was just an idea I had floating around in my head. No clue how it goes from here, or if it'll be continued but just wanted to put it out there.


	2. Chapter 2: Cato

Those who worked in the mines weren't worthy of the honor of becoming a Tribute, and, ultimately, a Victor. Their filthy, knotted hands were only good for grasping a pickax or wheelbarrow to bring in the rock harvest. Their eyes knew better than to meet mine, sometimes even crossing to the other side of the street when they saw me, or those of similar status, coming toward them.

I was raised on one doctrine: Win or Lose. Second place does not come home to a celebration. Second place is dead. Second place might as well be last. I excelled in everything that I did, because failure was not an option. The night I took second place in a swordfight, my father grabbed me in front of the entire academy and threw me to the ground of the gym. Shouting that I had brought shame on my family, he aimed a kick at my chest, winding me completely, and told me to walk home. It was a 4 mile walk that I did with 2 broken ribs. I was 10 years old.

Now looking down at the girl that was to become my arena partner, I was reminded of those pathetic miners. I wondered if she'd be as easy as most of their girls were.

As my thoughts wandered, two Peacekeepers approached each set of tributes. A male, nearly as large as myself, demanded that I present my left wrist and for the miner to present her right. With a questioning glare my way, she did as she was told. I was not taught to be a follower.

"What do you want with it?" I asked, drawing up to my full height. I noticed the miner roll her eyes at me.

"We are required to bind the partners together. From now on, you'll be permanently tethered to your arena partner until the end of the Games, or until you both are dead." No emotion. I think I like this guy. He would be a challenge to kill. I hold out my arm.

A thin metal band slid around my wrist, locking into place. Etched onto it were my full name, district number, and my partner's name. Katniss. The same thought passed my mind now as it did when I first heard her name a year ago. What a frivolous name. I noticed a fragile looking chain connecting our cuffs, about 3 feet long and silver. I gave it a quick tug, testing its strength, and nearly topple the girl on her face. Snorting, I picked up the chain and tried to find a way to break it. For its size, it was amazingly resilient. Immune to bending, twisting, pulling, and even teeth, it seemed that there was no way that I could release myself from the miner right now.

I glanced down at her, and found her craning her neck through the sea of tributes, seeking out her district mates. The blonde boy, Peeta, I remembered from last year's Games, had been paired up with another previous victor, Finnick Odair. Pretty boy who only survived his games by charming sponsors. The tribute from my district that year hadn't received anything, an oddity during the Games when we were generally favored. They made a formidable team, but Peeta's strength wasn't combat. I hadn't paid much attention to the other tributes from 12 during the recap, only noting that they were inconsequential. Half starved, and looked entirely miner.

I scanned the room for my fellow District 2 tributes, and as I find Clove, my smirk slides off my face. She was paired with one of the morphling invalids. The panic showed clearly on her face, and as she caught my eye, I nodded at her, my face hardening. She tok comfort in this, and her face lost some of its paleness. Brutus, one of my mentors at the academy, was paired with the little girl from 11. He towered over her, the top of her head barely grazing his elbow. An unknown expression passed across his face in an unguarded moment as he glanced down at her, perhaps pity, perhaps discomfort. It was one I was unfamiliar with. Enobaria was being cuffed to a nondescript female tribute, perhaps from 9 or 10. She stared up at the daggers for teeth Enobaria had commissioned after her games with trepidation, perhaps not registering the fact that the deadly victor was her greatest chance for survival.

Since the districts had been mixed, we had been given color coordinating uniforms for the opening ceremonies. Katniss and I wore a sapphire blue, our chariot and horses painted to match. Trust the Capitol to be able to paint a pair of horses sparkling blue. As the first of the chariots started rolling out, I turned to my partner with a sneer.

"Think you can handle this heat, Girl on Fire?"

She punched me on my cuffed arm, scowling.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note<strong>: I'm sorry if the last chapter was confusing. Generally, Katniss and Peeta won the 74th Hunger Games exactly the way described in the first book, but battled against an entirely different crew of tributes. I'm going to use the names and characters from the first book in this story to save myself a little trouble (I'm terrible with coming up with names), so people like Cato, Clove, etc. who were originally in the first book will not have been in the 74th Games, so Katniss is meeting them for the first time during the Quarter Quell. If this was still unclear, I am very tired right now, feel free to message me or leave me a review, and I'll answer it when I'm more awake in the morning. Please also let me know if something seems off with Cato's character. I tend to believe that people are a certain way for a reason, and I don't believe that Cato is entirely heartless and cold after his reaction to Clove's death in the Hunger Games. Again, I really have no direction or anything for this story. Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3: Katniss

As our chariot jerked into motion, I lost my balance, and found myself reeling backwards. I braced for impact when I felt a sharp jerk of my cuff, bringing me back toward the District 2 tribute. I suppose I should have been grateful that he didn't just let me fall and be dragged across the arena, although it seemed that it was the only way to make a first impression in these Games. I didn't understand the choice to make us all dress alike, and was immensely disappointed to not get to see Cinna, although my prep team assured me he was doing fabulously and would meet with us after the opening ceremonies.

I caught a glimpse of the Capitol citizens as we entered the stadium, most of them remembering me from last year, cheering me on. Cato, the other name I found etched on my metal cuff, seemed to be reveling in the glory, not realizing or, probably, caring that it was mainly directly at me. I gave a few of them a wave, smiling broadly, knowing that I would need their favor if I was to somehow get Rory or Peeta home.

I thought about the tributes they had been paired with. Peeta looked to be well off with Finnick. They were both strong and, if I remember correctly, Finnick had received the most expensive gift in the history of the Games. However with Finnick's reputation as a charmer, I was simply glad that Peeta was not his type. Rory had been paired with Thresh, who looked like he had been modeled after the bear I stumbled across in the woods one morning. Strong, tall, and pure muscle. He almost looked like a Career, without the traces of cockiness. The girl who came with us, Justine, I had found out, was paired with the mother from Eight, Cecelia. Maybe they could provide each other some sort of comfort. I vowed to protect them as long as I could, and my heart sank as I realized just how easy it would be for me to sacrifice them. Had I so easily fallen for the Capitol's traps?

When our chariot rolled to a stop, I began to make my way over to Peeta and Rory, when I felt myself being pulled backward by my wrist. Cato. He had his eyes narrowed at Finnick and Thresh, leveling them with a glare that should have incinerated them on the spot. I noticed that Peeta and Rory were also being pulled against their will away from me. Alliances would not come easily this year, since the districts were so unevenly partnered up. No two Career tributes had been paired together, except for the sister from One, Cashmere, and the old lady from Four, Mags. It looked like Mags would be riding on Cashmere's back the entire Game if they wanted a chance to win this.

I noticed Cato was quickly dragging us toward his district mates, when I suddenly dug my heels into the floor. It barely fazed him, but he quirked an eyebrow my way.

"I want to go see my people, too," I demanded.

"Later." Bastard.

I had caught the look of concern he had given the girl non-victor earlier, so I allowed him to drag me toward her. I finally got a good look at her arena partner. Jaundiced, sagging skin covered her face, neck, and hands, her eyes never focused on anything in particular, although seemingly fascinated with the colors and motion around her.

"What's wrong with her?" I questioned Cato.

"Too weak to handle winning. Morphling," was the bitten reply.

I had heard of morphling before, my mother having stocked some at one point. I wished Prim were here so she could explain to me exactly why it affected a person so. I quickly brushed that aside; the farther from the Capitol Prim was, the safer she would be.

I watched as Cato grasp the girl by her shoulders, literally shaking her until she stiffened her spine and her face regained the tough visage that was standard for Careers. I couldn't hear what he whispered to her, but apparently it was enough for her to regain her fighting spirit. While he continued to speak with her, I looked back at Peeta. He was deep in conversation with Finnick, probably already discussing strategy. Looking toward the outskirts of the throng of tributes, Thresh simply had his arms crossed leaning against the farthest wall, refusing to meet anyone's eye, ignoring the world. Rory, stuck by his side, simply looked lost.

So this was Snow's plan all along. Pair myself, Rory, and Peeta up with the most formidable of the tributes, the least likely to trust each other and form an alliance, the hardest to kill. Just about guarantee that we would be the last 6 tributes left in the arena, and watch as we destroyed each other. They couldn't even stand the sight of each other after being in the same area for 5 minutes. How was I supposed to convince them to simply glance at each other without malice, much less work together to survive?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I've always thought it weird that Peeta and Katniss didn't feel the effects of the chariot's pulling when it first started up. I would have fallen flat on my butt.


	4. Chapter 4: Cato

Watching Finnick Odair flirt with her was nauseating. Was it not enough that she had one guy apparently fawning over her; I had to put up with another? Where the hell had he gotten those sugar cubes? While she and her boyfriend reuinted, I sized the fisherman up. I outweighed him by at least 20 pounds, and had a couple of inches over him. I'd been warned about his proficiency with a trident, and made a mental note to deprive him of it if I got the chance.

My patience waning, I gave the chain a quick tug, which she promptly ignored in favor of the teenage boy from her District. Not used to being ignored, I tug it hard enough to send her flying backwards into my chest.

"Let's get moving. I'm getting hungry and I want to see where we're sleeping tonight," I bit out.

This earned me another punch on the arm, and I had to mentally restrain myself from killing her then. Instead I grabbed her by the neck and pushed her against the wall that Thresh had been reclining on. As threats and profanity flew out of my mouth, I felt a strong hand grip my shoulder, flinging me backward. I landed hard on the floor, Katniss quickly following me, elbowing me in the stomach as she went down. Damned chain. Her lover quickly helped her up and made sure that she wasn't hurt by me or the fall. I noticed that Thresh was resettling himself against the wall as I picked myself up, the boy at his side looking mutinous.

Peacekeepers swarmed us, and the little reunion was over. Katniss and I were pushed toward elevators, which we're shoved into, and taken to the 12th floor. Her mentor, glass of wine in his hand, greeted us. He narrowed his eyes at the red marks on her neck, however chose not saying anything about it at the time. He gestured toward a back room. Inside, a small buffet awaited us, which I instantly moved toward. The Capitol had food unlike anything I'd eaten before. The girl resisted, so I gave the chain a harsh tug. A high pitched beep came from both of our cuffs simultaneously, startling both of us. After a few seconds with no repercussions, we relaxed. I wondered if it had been doing that all night, but we just hadn't been able to hear it over the crowd noise.

After the recap of the opening ceremonies, we're shown to our room, comprising of several pieces of frilly decoration, two large wardrobes, and one large bed. Upon seeing the single bed, Katniss flushed slightly, which dampened my hopes for an eventful night. Oh well, at least I'd still be able to say I had never lowered myself for a miner's daughter. We settled down on opposite ends of the bed, the chain between us. I turned my body toward her, and noticed that she was perched on the edge of the bed, as far away from me as she could. So I did the only gentlemanly thing I could think of, and pushed her off the tall bed. Our cuffs emitted another beep.

The beeping and cuffs were explained to us when training started the following morning. The head trainer took a quick glance around the room, eying the numerous tributes that looked like they hadn't slept, showered, or changed clothing since the night before. I admitted that showering with the incredibly prudish miner had been highly amusing. The three foot chain prevented us from being able to shower separately, although the double showerheads sped things along. I wondered if they had been installed specifically for these Games. I had no qualms about stripping down in front of her, being the perfect physical specimen that I was, but she had showered almost fully clothed, leaving large puddles of water on the bathroom floor when she attempted to dry off. It was only when she threatened to castrate me in my sleep did I finally close my eyes to allow her to dress in what privacy could be obtained. I couldn't be on my guard all the time.

"Welcome to the 75th Hunger Games Training. First I'd like to explain the cuffs and the chain. They are designed to keep the two arena partners together at all times in addition to monitoring each Tribute's vital signs and physical location, both here in the Training Center and in the arena. Any attempts to tamper with the device, such as trying to sever the chain or remove the cuff, will result in warning beeps from the cuff. I have been informed that several of you have already received these warnings, some of you more than once," her eyes bore hard into mine. I stared her down, challenging her to take it further. She broke eye contact and continued.

"President Snow has decided that a demonstration of the capabilities of the cuffs will be necessary, so that all of the Tributes will take this situation seriously."

She motioned to an assistant, who brought out two white rabbits, metal collars around their necks mimicking the design of our wrist cuffs which were connected by a chain only 6 inches long. The assistant put them on a raised table and backed away to watch. The head trainer held out a bow and a single arrow, asking for volunteers to kill a rabbit. To my surprise, Katniss stepped forward and took the weapon. I walked up with her, obliging when she asked me to make sure the chain doesn't get in her way.

"Remember, just kill one of the rabbits," the instructor warned.

As if knowing their lives were about to end, the rabbits started pulling against the chain. The beeps started up, and at the third beep, we heard a rapid clicking, and both rabbits tensed and then collapsed, as if stunned.

"If three warning beeps are issued within the period of one hour, both partners will receive a slight electrical shock, enough to disable you for a few seconds. In the Training Center, it's to serve as a reminder to be on your best behavior. In the arena, it might be long enough to get you killed."

Katniss raised the bow, pulled back the string, exhaled slowly, and released the arrow, piercing one of the rabbits directly in its eyes. We watched the other rabbit startle, and try to run. As it tugged desperately on the chain, warning beeps were issued again, stilling its movements. I was close enough to see it shake, and for the arrowed rabbit to take its last breath. Seconds later, the other rabbit emitted a loud shriek and tipped over, dead.

"When your arena partner's heart stops, the cuff will alert the Gamemakers, who will initiate the other cuff to release a series of high voltage electric shocks. While not painless, this death is certainly quick. We encourage partners to keep each other alive and learn to work around the constraints of the chain. The ones who do this best will be the winners of these Games."

She then went on to introduce each station, snares, camouflage (I saw Clove's partner light up with immediate interest), various weapons, archery, edible plants, etc. When she finished, she dismissed us, reminding us that physical hostility outside of the arena would not be tolerated, and that she had access to each of our cuffs to zap us should we need it.

"Now that I've seen what you can do, let's see how much you'll hold me back from what I can do," I said, turning to Katniss.

My right, unencumbered hand was dominant, but I could work well with my left if I had to. I half led, half dragged her toward the swords, where Clove also was trying to lead the morphling. Turning to the miner, I narrowed my eyes at her and warned her to keep her head down. As I went through my normal routine, I realized just what a hindrance the chain and the other person at the end of it was. I was completely off balance, but I had to adapt. They used to make us fight with one arm tied behind our back at the academy. This was similar, but with a 120 plus pound weight attached. We got one on one time with each of our district mentors, and it would have to be something that I had to get my mentor to help me get over in that time. I would show my father that dismissing me to the academy was the worst mistake of his life. I would show my mother that I was not the least talented among my siblings. I would show all of Panem that the only approval I sought was my own, that I fought for myself. I would not fail, even if it meant having someone like Katniss Everdeen tag along for the ride.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> In case anyone's wondering about why they couldn't shower separately with a 3 foot chain, I was picturing a rather large, walk in shower, about 4'x4'. I saw one on a show on hgtv once with 5 showerheads and a rain shower head in the ceiling and it's now my life goal to have one of those in my future house.


	5. Chapter 5: Katniss

Our days were filled with training, my nights with nightmares. The first night, after he had pushed me off the bed and I had resettled myself more securely on it after shouting myself hoarse, I dreamed of Gale and Prim, impaled back to back on the same spear. Behind them, still in the follow-through motions of throwing the spear, stood myself. I stared at myself as if staring at a stranger, unfamiliar with the cruel twist of my lips or the quick motion that followed. I felt a jolt in my stomach, and saw that I had been skewered with another silver spear. I awoke to a stinging slap on my cheek and Cato standing over me, looking annoyed and tussled.

"You were too loud," was his only explanation before he settled back into his pillows.

I spent the rest of the night imagining violent ways to get back at Cato where his large size and strength would not be an advantage for him, somehow falling asleep and my musings merge into my dreams. I woke the next morning, refreshed.

The shower was both humiliating and infuriating. I think the sadist actually enjoyed my discomfort, although I admit showering fully clothed was not one of my best moments, but I had gotten to threaten him with one of my ideas from the previous night.

When the chance to test the Capitol bows came to me, I eagerly grasped it, wanting to feel the strength and confidence I had with a bow in my hand. I was through feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by the bastard I was going to have to deal with for much of the unforeseeable future. He may have outweighed me by double and have almost a foot on me, but he would respect me.

I stored away the information about the three beeps in my head, in case I needed it to subdue him later. As I pulled back the string, I heard a small gasp. Rue, the tribute from 11 who was paired with one of Cato's district victors, had hidden her face into the man's stomach. To my surprise, he let her stay there, and even put his large hands over her ears. Prim had never been able to stomach the idea of killing animals either.

When the other rabbit shrieked upon receiving the collar's jolt, I looked back again at Rue, who still had her head hidden by the Two Victor. Only when we were dismissed, did he finally release her, and led her away. Cato immediately dragged me toward the swords, probably feeling emasculated than I could shoot better than he. As I watched him fight the dummies, I realize that I would have never stood a chance against him in close range combat. How long had his district trained him for this? I thought back on the Victory Tour, where the residents of District 2 had been genuine in their cheers, and I had even caught a few envious glances among a group of strong looking children of Reaping age. What would drive them toward actually wanting to be part of this madness?

The days before the interviews passed quickly. Training, mentor meetings, sleep, repeat. Cato had to wake me up several times, often with a poke or another slap if I didn't wake up the first few times. He was still doggedly keeping me away from Peeta and Rory; the most I'd been able to do is send a few reassuring smiles their way. Haymitch and I had discussed severing the "star crossed lovers" theme, not sure if it was viable in the environment of these Games. Haymitch had also delivered a personal threat to Cato that if he ever struck out at me in anger again, he would personally see to his chemical castration. Apparently threatening the boy's man parts was the only way to get a message across.

On the last day of training, I managed to threaten him into allowing me to have lunch with Peeta and Rory. Cato floored me by immediately offering an alliance to everyone at the table; the only condition he had wanted was that we allowed Clove and the Morphling in as well. Everyone seemed to accept that condition (I took Thresh's grunt to be assent), and I just had to ask Cato why he agreed to work with them.

"Clove. Keeping with the strongest will help me keep her alive for as long as I can. Plus, I want the pleasure of killing them all myself." I was right, he was a sadist, but he was smart enough to realize who his biggest competition was. I was wondering if Thresh had earned his respect after tossing him at the end of the opening ceremonies. Well at least I had a method of controlling him or slowing him down while we were in the arena should he forget about the agreement, even if it meant a rather unpleasant zap for me. During training, we got to see the effects of the cuffs on tributes, when one set of tributes became so tangled in their chain that they set their cuff's 3 warning beeps of in a matter of seconds. The jolt immediately froze them and then they collapsed in a heap on the floor. The trainers immediately rushed to their side, helped them up when they could move again and sent them off with Avoxes to the medical wing. I hoped I wouldn't have to resort to that with Cato. I felt a jolt of pity for Cato; if he hadn't been partnered with me, he would have had a legitimate chance at the dual Victors' crown.

Thinking on his comments about Clove, it reminded me of Justine. She was off with Cecelia in a center table with a couple of the more decent looking tributes, trying to choke down a few mouthfuls of food. She looked like she's lost weight since she's arrived at the Capitol, having had already accepted that she was doomed to die. Peeta noticed where my gaze had wandered to, and he squeezed my hand from across the table.

"Do you want to ask them to join us as well?" he asked kindly.

"Absolutely not. You invite her and her mom into this, and the alliance is off," Cato objected, slamming a fist against the table and turned to me. "We're not here to make friends, and if you think that Snow will allow for four victors if you try to pull your little lover stunt again, you're delusional. And if you think I'm going to allow you to kill me for your guilty conscience, think again Miner. I'll knock you out and carry you on my back first."

"And you listen to me District Two," Peeta declareed, standing. "I will do my best to ensure that Katniss escapes that arena unharmed, but I have no requirements when it comes to you. She will live as long as your heart beats and you can live through a lot before it stops. Finnick and I have come to an understanding that we will work with you until we become the last teams standing, in which case, I will not hold him back. I will not deny any of you a fair chance to win these games, but I will not hesitate to mutilate you should you harm Katniss in any way."

"Do you agree to this, Katniss?" Finnick inquired, his eyes hard on mine with no hint of the flirtatious man from before. "We will be in an alliance until we're the last ones left, and then it'll be a free for all. You will not stand in our way or try to stop us, even if you do not participate."

I looked frantically between Rory, Peeta, and Cato, trying to find a way out of this. Peeta gave me a small smile, sitting down.

"It's better this way Katniss. The choice of who lives or dies is out of our hands, and one of us can for sure go home," Peeta whispered to me.

I looked at Rory, his face, so like Gale's, full of trepidation and lacked the confidence that years of hunting had left his older brother. Justine and Cecelia would stand no chance against the three heavyweights that sat, tense, with me, Peeta, and Rory. Bringing them into the alliance now would only extend their lives by a few days, even if Cecelia was a victor. Flashes of her kids came to me then, making me clench my fists and jaw.

"I agree." I still had no intentions of letting Cato win.

I hadn't realize what a crowd we had gotten until I noticed the hush that had fallen over the dining area. Every single tribute and Peacemaker stared at us with mixed emotions of trepidation, hatred, curiosity, annoyance. Justine had tears pooling in her eyes, and Cecelia drew her into her arms, whispering to her.

That night, nightmares came to me quickly. Flashes of blood covered Prim, Justine, Cecelia, Thresh, Gale, Peeta, Cato, the Morphling, all the past tributes I had been up against. Empty eyes that stared at me, wondering why I didn't do more, why I hadn't saved them against the brutality of the Capitol. By the time Cato woke me, we were both tangled in the sheets, and he was sporting a cut lip. I gasped, asking him what happened.

"You woke me up with your fist."

I had somehow managed to migrate across the bed in my sleep at his side, and one of my flailing fists managed to connect with his face. I considered myself lucky I wasn't sporting broken bones. I got up and had him follow me to the bathroom so I can clean him up.

"What do you dream about?" he asked quietly.

"Death, mostly. Of my sister, last year's tributes, my friends, my family, sometimes total strangers," I replied, looking down at the wet towel in my hand. "Do Victors from your district have any problems when they get home?"

"I'm not sure. I see them mostly at public gatherings and when they come make speeches at the academy." He noticed my questioning glance and elaborated. "The academy is where parents in my district often send their problem children or orphans to be trained for the Games. I was sent there after I almost killed a classmate at school. He was making fun of my older sister, who had developed earlier than the rest of her female classmates. My parents didn't feel like dealing with me after that, so they sent me to go to school at the academy. I used to go home on the weekends, but stayed permanently at the academy when I became of Reaping age. The previous victors would come by the academy every month for an assembly, where we would test our skills against each other. They would present the winners with a trophy, and speak about what a great honor it was to be part of the academy and to represent your district. At the end of the semester, the strongest tribute from the academy would be chosen to volunteer at the next Hunger Games. The students who graduate from the academy without being chosen to be a Tribute often are sent on to Peacekeeper training if they're smart enough, or sent to work the mines."

"What happened to your sister?" I asked.

"She graduated from school and married the banker's son. She came to visit me after I volunteered to apologize for my family. It was too late then. I no longer cared for them. I was better off alone." Well he wasn't alone anymore. He had me to deal with, and it didn't look like he was used to working in a group setting.

As I stopped the bleeding from his lip and clean his face, I decided to tell him a little of Prim. How she fixed up a goat, how she loved little pretty things, the way that her shirt tail would come untucked because they were my hand-me-downs that never seemed to fit her properly. When I finished, I took my first good look at him, and simply saw a lonely boy putting on a tough front because he had been taught nothing else. I mentally slapped myself, knowing that it would do me no good to start feeling sorry for him, to start feeling sorry that I would be the reason for his murder.

He noticed my expression, and reminded me of the agreement. I had no doubts that he's capable of carrying me on his back while still fighting Finnick or Thresh should I forget my part of it.

The last day of training was spent with Peeta, Finnick, Thresh, Rory, Clove, and the Morphling coming up with a strategy for the arena. It was decided that Peeta, Finnick, Cato, and I would participate in the initial bloodbath, gathering what weapons and supplies we could, eliminating tributes when we could. The other four would go off in the direction of the tail of the Cornucopia, about 30 minutes in to set up a camp, and we would catch up with them later in the day. Thresh would help Clove protect the group until we joined up with them. We would go into the interviews still playing up the lovers theme between myself and Peeta, although I would make sure to portray that I was torn between Peeta and Rory (since the Hawthornes were still cousins of mine) on whom I wanted to see win more and that was what had spawned this alliance. It was sure to draw sympathy money from the Capitol crowds so that, with Finnick's guaranteed supporters, we would be the best funded group in the Games.

With this plan firmly in my head, Cato and I slept well for the first time that night since arriving at the Capitol.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I appreciate all the feedback that everyone's given me so far! Every story alert, favorite, and review makes me :). I added POV names to the chapter titles to make it clearer who's speaking. If there's any confusion please let me know!


	6. Chapter 6: Cato

With Katniss's status as a Victor, deadly with a bow and arrows, and my size and skills with an assortment of weapons, it was clear what my strategy would be going into our interviews. We had scored a solid 11 from the Gamemakers, same as Finnick and Peeta, which made us even more popular in the games. Thresh must have found his scared arena partner a talent, because they managed to get a 9, and Clove and the Morphling scraped by with a 6. Later, as we gathered for lunch the day before our interviews to discuss our arena strategy, she told us that the Morphling kept getting in her way while she was trying to throw knives. With the camouflage station nearby, she ended up with painted flowers on her face and the constant interference threw off her balance and concentration. Less than half her knives landed on the dummies she had been aiming for; the majority had ended up on the wall splattered with paint. One had even managed to fly in the direction of the Gamemakers, where it bounced off an invisible barrier of sorts.

When Katniss heard this, she sputtered a bit and turned red before snorting. We all turned to her, Peeta smiling, amused.

"I shot an arrow at the Gamemakers' roasted pig last year when they didn't pay attention to me during my private session," Katniss muttered. "Plutarch Heavensbee fell into a bowl of punch."

The group sat stunned for a bit, before bursting out in laughter. Finnick, falling out of his seat and rolling on the floor, had tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Clove, hand in front of her mouth, was slowly turning red trying to hold in her laughter. I found myself letting out an uncharacteristic snort, picturing the brightly dressed Gamemaker covered in red punch. Even Thresh cracked a small smile, before it disappeared into his normal scowl. While we were distracted, Brutus and Rue had come up behind us, and he tapped me on the shoulder.

"We want in on your alliance. I can help you, and Rue has good knowledge of medicinal herbs and edible plants," he rumbled quietly. Well that explained the 8 they had gotten from the Gamemakers.

"You can join us," Thresh replied, startling all of us. I wasn't sure if I'd ever heard him speak before.

He looked around the group, meeting my eyes in particular, looking for someone to challenge him.

"I agree, we need someone who can help us locate food in case the Cornucopia doesn't provide us with any, and we always need someone to help cover our backs," Peeta stated. "Welcome aboard."

He grasped Brutus' hand, shaking it and even shook Rue's hand before inviting them to sit down. As he explained the rules that we'd all agreed to play by, I wondered why Brutus even cared to do this. It had to be for Rue, as he had not brought Enobaria and her arena partner in. At the academy, he had always stressed the importance of solidarity, hammering home that an alliance was temporary until you could devise a means to kill those in it. I wondered what he had planned for us, but kept my thoughts to myself. Revealing too much about my former mentor would remove an advantage I alone held. I probably should mention something to Katniss though. It would help if both of us were being cautious around Brutus. I offhandedly wondered if he had suffered the same nightmares that seemed to plague Katniss on a daily basis.

The night I had woken to a split lip, the only thing that had prevented me from shattering the offending hand was the look of pure fright and desperation on her face while she struggled in her sleep. Sighing, I resigned myself to simply shaking her awake. I wasn't sure what madness had inspired me to share details of my past with her; I guess I could blame the time of night or the fact that she was my partner. I wished I could trust her not to get us killed, but having seen the blind dedication she gave to Peeta and Rory, I knew I had to always be on my guard while we were in the arena. Seeing my sister again after the Reaping only solidified in my head that I needed to stay alone. She had married that banker's son because that was what my parents had wanted. I heard rumors all the way at the academy that he was a cheater and a gambler. They hadn't cared, simply marrying her off to the most eligible _boy_ they could find. Relying on others who did not have your best interests in mind did not get you ahead in life. Clove and I, upon realizing that it was our year, had made the usual pact of District 2 tributes to keep together. Especially seeing who she had been partnered with, I could not and would not abandon her. With enormous baggage like that, however, I didn't see her making it too far, even with all of us compensating. She'd be the easiest and slowest moving target with the Morphling. Again, I wondered at the Victors' weaknesses after their Games were won. What happened to them to make them lose all their dignity and respectability?

The night before interview day, I dreamed of my sister, and how we used to play in the grassy area in front of the district school at recess; the baker, Peeta, in my dreams, who would sneak us cookies frosted with bows and arrows; Clove and I sparring at the academy; my best friend at the academy before he was reaped and killed; the first trophy I received at the academy, which was handed to me by Brutus. We both were woken up to a sharp rapping on our door before a set of strangely colored birds swarmed into the room. Blinking, because that made no sense, I saw they were merely strangely colored Capitol citizens whom Katniss greeted like old friends. They exclaimed over her and then swarmed to me, chattering about how handsome and strong I looked, all while pushing Katniss and me toward the bathroom.

They stripped both of us down before she had time to protest and scrubbed us down in side by side bathtubs. I smelled like a girl by the time they were done with me. My disproval must have shown on my face because they tittered nervously about how the scent would fade in a few hours. I saw Katniss actually daring a laugh before give me a warning look, and her hissed "Be nice!" warned me that any action against the prep team would be taken with great offense. I missed the prep team I had been assigned to before the opening ceremonies, who seemed to be all business and knew how to handle a tribute from District 2. I looked over at Katniss while we were being made camera ready and noted the vacant smile and blank look in her eyes as they spoke to her, and knew that she was just tuning them out, so I followed in her example. Apparently, though, when I zone out, I tend to scowl and look furious, because one of the team members, the one with unnaturally green skin, asked me squeakily if there was something I disliked.

Finally taking a look into the mirror, I actually was impressed with what I saw. They had scrubbed my face and body until it glowed, and even my hair somehow added to my tough exterior. I had never looked better, even during the opening ceremonies. The bedroom door opened then, an unimpressive man striding into the room.

"Cinna!" Katniss exclaimed, running to give the man a hug, forgetting momentarily about the chain. When the inevitable jerk and beep came, she looked surprised and beckoned me impatiently to follow her. He embraced her tightly, like a father, even though he couldn't have more than a decade on her, and she clung to him as if fearing he might disappear.

When they released each other, he took a good look at me, and I had a feeling this man was less shallow than his prep team. He hummed at me, and started talking about our outfits for the interviews. Each district would be in keeping with their color that they were assigned at the opening ceremonies to keep the audience from becoming confused since there were so many of us. He took out a suit for me, simple with a sapphire blue button up shirt and a shiny, striped tie. It had been tailor made for me to fit my frame and showed off my build. He zipped Katniss into a dress matching my shirt. What could I say, it's a blue dress.

Haymitch showed up when we were dressed to give us a few more tips. He avidly reminded Katniss to mention how she was torn between Peeta and Rory, torn between the love of her life and saving what little family she has left. I knew the whole thing was just an act last year, at least on her part. Haymitch had to verbally and physically coach her on what to do while speaking about Peeta, although I could tell that she was extremely attached to Rory. When he turned to me, he told me that the brutal, cold killer persona I had been giving off the entire training session worked for me, and to keep it up. It would contrast nicely with Katniss's love theme, and could possibly help us stand out more. The star crossed lover who had been paired with the blond demon child.

Because there were so many interviews, they started earlier in the day than normal. All of us were brought out in front of the Capitol audience and assigned a place behind Caesar Flickerman to sit in a semicircle around the stage. Katniss and I ended up almost directly behind Caesar, with Peeta and Finnick on Katniss's other side. Because of the scrambling of the districts, Caesar announced that President Snow, himself, would draw the order for the interviews out of a reaping bowl. The first name he pulled: "Cato from District 2 and Katniss from District 12."

Katniss and I stepped forward to great applause. The Capitol citizens seemed honestly enamored with her and Peeta's ill fated love story, and I was glad to be able to take advantage of that. She stuck to the script during her part of the interview, lamenting that she had to make a hard choice between two boys that mean the world to her. I almost found myself believing her. In a nod to her interview last year, she got up and twirled in her dress for the audience. The screaming and applause did not die for several minutes as her dress lit up with blue flames, and Caesar tried several times in vain to reign in the crowd. Then she said something that gave me pause.

"Caesar, if I may, I would like to issue my gratitude to President Snow and the Capitol in allowing me to once again be able to show my pride in being a citizen of Panem. It is a great honor being a part of the Hunger Games again, and to show my absolute devotion to my district and to this great country."

The bell rang to signal the end of her time, and the audience was again on its feet, shouting and cheering. Was this another ploy to get sponsors? She had never shown any inclination toward positive feelings about the Games like we at District 2 had been taught. I always had the impression that the lower districts had viewed the Games as nothing more than a death sentence, rather than a way to gain honor and resources for yourself and your district.

When Caesar finally quieted the crowd, he turned to me and started my interview, asking me several common questions, what did I think of the Capitol, what was my favorite part of it, asking me about my strongest attributes. My 3 minutes flashed by, and we were excused back to our seats to the sound of much applause and chanting of "Kato." I was immediately dismayed that they saw fit to push our names together, as if they no longer viewed us as individual people but a single amorphous entity.

When we sat down, Peeta immediately reached for Katniss's hand, which she allowed, but her smile was strained, pained even. Since we were seated within camera view, we could not get the answers we wanted, needed. I wondered if I had managed to change her mind about the Games, that it was not all about control from the Capitol, but also a means to put yourself and your district in a place of honor and achievement. If her views on the Games had changed, perhaps it would mean she no longer strove to kill herself, and by conjunction, me. I caught her discretely glancing up at Snow, and followed her line of vision. He had his eyes hard on her as well, and gave a barely perceptible nod.

Rory spoke of his family, and mostly of his older brother, while Thresh hardly said anything beyond a yes or a no. I wondered if he impressed the Gamemakers by presenting them with an eloquent speech instead of showing off his obvious strengths. Clove tried to laugh off having a Morphling as a partner, instead saying that maybe it would give the other tributes a chance. The Morphling managed to splash a swirly pattern on Caesar's jacket before the glass of water was taken away. There was a brief pause in the interviews while Caesar changed, and Clove's smile grew even more forced.

When Finnick and Peeta were called, the number of slips in Snow's bowl had been severely dwindled. The Capitol women literally swooned over Finnick. He read them some sappy love poem he created for his "one true love" that every woman in the audience grasped onto like their lives depended on it. When Peeta started to speak of his love and devotion for Katniss, and his sorrow that their dream wedding could never occur, I thought that my lunch might come back up again. I still wasn't sure if he was part of the lovers plot or if he was being played, both of which were equally pathetic in my mind. He went on to thank the Capitol for taking such a strong interest in him and Katniss, and to please remember to do their parts in cheering them on during the Games. He continued to banter with Caesar after that until his time ran out.

When the interviews finally ended, Peeta and Finnick pushed their way forward through the crowd of tributes to join us in an elevator.

"What were you thinking, thanking the Capitol?" Peeta demanded when the elevator doors had closed.

"Wait, please," she begged. "The roof."

He nodded, and we were taken back up to the top floor. Haymitch greeted us when the elevators opened, and immediately pointed us toward the doors that led up to the rooftop terrace.

Once up there, I was struck by the amount of unexpected nature that was up there. As I observed my surroundings, I felt a tug on my cuff, and it emitted a familiar beep. I turned back to Katniss, and noticed that she'd collapsed onto the floor, her head in her hands. Peeta immediately rushed to her side, whispering to her. When she finally looked up, her eyes were dry but dead. She informed us blankly that Cinna had told her that President Snow was currently hosting her sister, Prim, at his personal mansion, after their mother had been discovered dead in the Victor's Village, the victim of an apparent robbery attempt while her sister had been at school.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Upon some great advice, I went back and edited the chapters to make them all past tense. I also added a little blurb about Rory in the first chapter, so anyone who's curious can go and take a look. :) Again reviews and story alerts are appreciated! Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7: Katniss

So this was Snow's method of torture for me. He killed my mother and brought my sister under his strict supervision and control. Cinna's whispered words during our hug earlier that morning came back to me while everyone gathered around me on the rooftop terrace:

"_Snow has captured your sister. Your mother's house was robbed and she was killed. Prim was taken to Snow's mansion. You must convince him and Panem that you are loyal to him and these Games."_

I was frozen to him afterward, so he peeled me off and turned his attention to Cato while I pulled myself together. I spent the rest of the day prior to my interview in a daze, my mind trying to come up with some way to ensure Prim's survival. I had to convince the people that I was loyal to the Capitol. Otherwise Prim would be tortured or killed by Snow. I was unable to rid myself of the knot in my stomach or the nausea that threatened to ruin my immaculate appearance that took my prep team an entire morning to complete. When Snow called Cato and me first, I knew it was a warning.

_Impress me._

Snow's nod to me after my interviews were done was a relief to me. I had not slipped in my declaration to the Capitol, and Prim would not suffer for my actions.

The door to the rooftop opened, and I snapped my head toward it, certain it was Peacekeepers who would escort me directly to Snow. Instead, there stood Cinna, looking remorseful and haggard. He strode up to me, and I pulled myself out of Peeta's arms and launched myself at him, Cato quietly following. He held me tight against his chest, body as tense as mine.

Haymitch was the first to break us apart, clearing his throat and asking, "How did you learn about this Cinna?"

"I was called into Snow's mansion yesterday to design a dress for a guest who was staying there," he murmured. "When I got there, I immediately recognized Prim from her interviews last year while Katniss was in the Games. She was very upset, and when I told her who I was, she told me that Peacekeepers had taken her out of class the day before, telling her that her mother was dead and their house robbed. She was not been allowed to go back, but Snow had volunteered to take her in. She was put onto a direct train to the Capitol with a small army of Peacekeepers, and taken to Snow's home. I measured her for some dresses, and she told me that she was being treated well. Some of Snow's grandchildren had even come by to play with her, and show her the more fun rooms in the mansion."

Cinna's words provide a small measure of comfort to me. Prim was innocent of any crimes, and it looked like Snow wasn't taking out his anger on her.

"Any word on Gale or his family?" I whispered. "Any word of District 12 or anyone there?"

"I'm sorry, but I didn't ask and Prim didn't say anything," Cinna replied, frowning. He released me and slowly sat me down onto the ledge of the roof. "You have to get yourself together for the Games tomorrow, Katniss. Snow arranged this deliberately to see how you would react. You have to focus on getting yourself and Cato out of the arena. I'm not sure what Snow has planned for Prim should you lose, but you know it won't be pleasant. At the very least, he'll use her as a tool to prevent the people from rebelling against the Capitol."

And at the worst, he'll torture her for information about the rebellion which she doesn't have, information about the rebellion which I foolishly started with a handful of flowers and berries.

The door of the roof opened again; this time four Peacekeepers marched onto the roof.

"President Snow will be making an announcement momentarily. It is mandatory viewing, so I suggest you get down to your rooms," one ordered. "We're here to make sure you get there safely and efficiently."

In other words, disperse now freely or we'll see to it that you do so painfully. We got up, me with a hand from Peeta. He gave it a quick squeeze, perhaps trying to reassure me that we would somehow work this out. How could this possibly work out? There was no ideal situation now. Just yesterday, my ideal situation was that either Rory and Thresh or Peeta and Finnick would return home, victorious and alive. Now, I had the one person who I valued above all others, Prim, in danger from Snow himself. Prim, who would have nobody left if I went forward with my original plans.

We went back down the staircase, Peeta and Finnick heading in the direction of the elevators. The rest of us followed Haymitch into the viewing area with the large television. Cinna sank into the plush couch close by me, taking my hand. Haymitch turned on the television, which showed a quick recap of the tributes' interviews. We sat in tense silence, waiting for Snow's announcement. A few minutes later, the national anthem trumpeted, and President Snow took to the screen, sitting behind a mahogany desk with the Capitol seal behind him.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of Panem. I would like to start off by thanking the tributes of the 75th Hunger Games for their wonderful interviews. May the odds be ever in your favor!

"Citizens, a tragedy has befallen this nation. What level of safety can be reached by a layman when one of their strongest cannot be protected? Two days ago, the mother of the 74th Hunger Games co-Victor and current tribute of the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, was killed in a disturbing, unprecedented act of violence in their home in the Victor's Village of District 12. The criminals stripped the house of its most valuable processions, and then set it ablaze. By the time Peacekeepers were able to arrive, the inferno was out of control and the house was lost. Miss Everdeen's sister, Primrose, was left homeless and orphaned. She is now with me in my home, until Miss Everdeen can be recovered from the arena."

The entire time he was speaking, images and video of District 12 were being shown. Our home in Victor's Village, black and collapsed into a charred, smoking heap. The Peacekeepers trying to put out the blaze with ridiculously small buckets of water before the water truck pulls up with a hose. Haymitch's house, next to mine, with its roof on fire. At this point, Haymitch let out a bark of laughter, and we turned to him surprised. What the hell could be so funny about seeing your home on fire?

"There's enough alcohol in that house to blow up the entire district," he said wryly.

But it's when they showed Prim, tears streaking down her pale face and looking so lost, that I finally lost myself. I collapsed onto the floor, screaming, my hands pulling at my perfectly styled hair. This was just one of my nightmares, it had to be. I would wake up soon in my bed in Victor's Village, Prim shaking me awake like she always did. I'd tell her about the dream, and we'd laugh at how preposterous it was over a cup of mint tea. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately wanting to wake up, for the world to right itself.

Strong arms picked me up off the ground, and I was pressed against a hard, unfamiliar chest. Cato. Why would he do this for me now?

"You need to be strong for her now," he whispered urgently. "She's waiting for you to come for her, to help her through this. Do not leave her alone, to deal with a life in the Capitol among strangers. We can get through the arena together, and you will be with her again."

He loosened his arms, and I pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. The hardness never quite left them, but I saw determination there as well. Most importantly, I didn't see the pity I know was reflected in Cinna and Haymitch's faces. The pity I had been feeling for myself and my situation. He was right. I needed to get through these Games. For Prim. The same reason I survived my first round in the arena. In order to do so, I'd have to play the Games as Snow intended. As I wiped my eyes and pushed my hair back, I noticed that Snow was closing his speech. I turned to Haymitch, asking what I had missed.

"Snow is using this 'robbery' as an excuse to boost security in all districts," he sighed. "They're going house to house to check for security breaches. If they find something suspicious, Peacemakers are called to make arrests. They also interviewed Gale and his mother, since they're your only family."

"How did they look?" I asked urgently.

"Fine," Haymitch shrugged. "A little shaken up and upset. Apparently Hazel had tried to interfere when the Peacekeepers were taking Prim away, and she had gotten the butt of a rifle for it. She's fine," he insisted, raising his hands when he saw my mutinous face. "You need to concentrate on the arena tomorrow. Let today's events drive you toward your ultimate goal of getting Prim back to District 12, back to our people. One day at a time, sweetheart."

With that one semi-sarcastic pet name, he jolted me back to the present. We were going to the arena tomorrow. I thought back on the words Prim spoke to me before my first Games:

"I just want you to come home. You will try, won't you? Really, really try?"

Yes, I would have to try again. For Prim. For the only real family I had left. For the one person who I would risk anything and everything for.

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the room when Cato and I settled for our last night in the Capitol, and I fell into a haunted sleep. I dreamed of Prim, grown and married to one of Snow's grandchildren. They ran the country in a similar manner to Snow. I watched her delivering speeches before each Hunger Games, the children that were reaped starving and sick, their cheekbones jutting from their pallid faces. I saw her pretty, clean face twisted in a cruel, uncaring smirk. Back in District 12, she arbitrarily pointed at houses that she deemed traitorous, it occupants put into the stocks and whipped. Then, Gale appeared, tied to the post, blood leaking from deep gashes in his back. Behind him, stood Prim, shouting at him to confess his crimes against the Capitol. She held a whip, tipped with a snake head whose fangs dripped venom. Gale was screaming my name, over and over again.

"Katniss! Katniss! Wake up already my arms are getting tired!"

Wait what? I opened my eyes and registered that Cato was violently shaking me. I pushed him off of me, and glanced at the clock on the wall. 2:42 am.

"Not that I don't enjoy waking up to blood curdling screams," he muttered sarcastically. "But if you continue this in the arena, we're going to be sitting ducks."

"I'm sorry," I replied. "It's normally better if Peeta's with me, so the arena shouldn't be a problem."

Running a hand down his face, Cato reached his arms toward me. Thinking he was going to simply save the arena the trouble of killing me, I tensed. Instead, he pulled me backward into his chest, whispering for me to be still so he can get back to sleep.

When Cinna woke us to take us to the arena the next morning, he cocked an eyebrow at our proximity, but thankfully said nothing beyond it. The sun was just starting to peak over the Capitol when our hovercraft picked us up. We didn't need a tracker injection since our cuffs had a built in tracker. As I settled into my seat, I heard my name being whispered by a familiar voice. Prim.

She ran toward me and jumped at me, her arms around my neck constricting my air. I pushed her back after a bit, and examined her, determined to make sure for myself that she was unharmed. She laughed through her tears, telling me that she was fine and that President Snow had been taking very good to her. Her strained smile as she spoke of the President told me volumes; she understood what was going on and what was at stake. I introduced Prim to Cato, who took her small hand in his giant ones with an honest smile.

Knowing we were being closely watched, we made small talk. I asked her of the people from home, and she asked me about the Training Center and how Cato and I had been training. She questioned me about Peeta and Rory, and I realized that I hadn't seen or thought of Rory since his interview last night. He must have seen Gale on television, and at least he knows his family is safe and alive, for now. Well, I would be with him soon enough.

When the hovercraft slowed, Prim's face paled and she once again pulled me in for a hug.

"Don't leave me here alone," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Come back. Take me home."

Peacemakers came up on either side of her and dragged her from me. She continued screaming at me, imploring me to stay alive and to return to her.

"I promise Prim, I'll see you soon," I yelled before we were lowered into our Launch Room. One way or another.

Cinna was on hand to assist Cato and me to dress in a simple, sapphire blue jumpsuit that, unlike all of our clothing at the training center, did not accommodate for our cuff and chain. There was no way for us to put on the top of the jumpsuit without tangling ourselves in the chain. Just as I opened my mouth to ask Cinna, the door opened and two Peacekeepers strode in, one with a rifle in his hands. The other stepped forward and asked for my right hand, which I offered to him cautiously. He produced a small metal cylinder from his pocket which, once placed against my cuff, caused them to open. I rubbed my wrist, reveling in the feeling of bare skin. Cinna held up the top of the jumpsuit and I put my arms through. Immediately after, the Peacekeeper put the cuff back on my wrist, and moved to Cato. When we were both chained again, they left the room, the door closing behind them quietly. Well, at least we now knew that the cuffs could be opened, and I wouldn't have to either be buried with Cato or have him tag around for the rest of my life. Cinna clipped a belt around my waist, and I stepped into my shoes.

Cato said that he wanted to get some food before we're taken up to the arena. I could never stomach eating before the launch, so I followed him and poured myself a glass of water. Cato and I sat side by side, my shoulder against his bicep, his strength calming me. Cinna sat at my other side, my hand in his. When the announcement to prepare for launch came, Cato and I stood and walked to the platform, which had been widened into an oval to allow two people to stand very closely together.

"Oh the mockingjay pin!" I exclaimed.

Cinna offered me a small, sad smile. "I think you're better off this year without it."

On second thought, I agreed with him. No need to give Snow the feeling I was going back on my silent promise to him. I gave Cinna one last, tight hug and Cato shook his hand. We stepped onto the metal oval, and glass descended around us. I placed my hand on the glass in a final farewell to Cinna as we started to rise. Cato took my hand, giving it a squeeze but released me before we emerged into the arena.

The sun was immediately blinding, and the breeze against my face smelled salty. As the glass lowered around us, water immediately spilled over the metal platform. We were in the middle of a lake.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin!" Claudius Templesmith announced brightly. Here we go again.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thanks again for all the reviews and support! The Games start in the next chapter, so if anyone has any requests for character cameos that I haven't mentioned yet, please let me know.


	8. Chapter 8: Cato

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin!"

Our sixty seconds had started, and I took a quick look around me. We had done launch simulations many times at the academy; I knew where to focus my attention. Water everywhere, salty and undrinkable when I bent to test it. Land was behind (forest) and in front of us (Cornucopia), equal distant away, connected by equally spaced strips of sand but separated by the deep water. We faced a side of the Cornucopia.

"Can you swim?" I whispered in Katniss' ear.

"Yes," was the swift reply.

I poked at the belt, and it was inflated with something light and squishy. Hopefully, it would float and not weigh us down.

"We make a straight line swim for the Cornucopia," I instructed Katniss quickly, who was twisting to locate our other alliance members. "When we get there, we'll go left and head toward the opening. Look for your bow and arrows. Remember, do not hesitate, but try not to kill Peeta or Finnick either."

Since she didn't have enough room to maneuver for my arm, I instead received a sharp kick on the ankle. We tensed again, waiting for the gong. They had removed the countdown after many tributes in the earliest Hunger Games, anticipating the start, had stepped off the plate after "One" was announced, setting off their explosives before the gong had sounded. Additionally, the removal of the countdown only heightened the tension among tributes and the audience, since nobody knew exactly when the Games would start. I started bouncing on the balls of my feet, ready to spring once released. I felt Katniss beside me, also coiled for action. My cuffed hand grabbed hers, reminding her to be steady.

The gong sounded, and we both immediately dove into the water, my attention focused on the golden horn in front of us. A wave sent a mouthful of warm, salty water my way. Katniss was actually ahead of me, being lighter and able to cut through the water more efficiently. I had never been at the top of my class for this event, but I managed. I tugged lightly on her ankle, both as a reminder not to leave me too far behind and also to save her energy for the inevitable bloodbath. When we finally reached the shore with the Cornucopia, we were both panting slightly, but we broke off into a sprint toward its mouth. Nobody chased us and the Cornucopia was empty except for an assortment of weapons. I grabbed a sword in each hand, and spun, anticipating an attack and covering Katniss' back while she sought out her bow and arrows. I could see four sets of tributes across the water that were all still stuck on their platforms, unable or unwilling to jump in. None of them our allies.

"Katniss!" I shouted. "Take them out!" I waved in the direction of the stranded tributes. She raised her bow as I whipped around, swords at the ready, sensing movement to my left. It was Peeta and a slightly winded Finnick. They ran past me, Finnick grabbing the trident obviously meant for him, and Peeta picking up a belt of knives. They regrouped by us, and I instructed each of them to grab whatever weapons they could carry for the rest of our group. I turned back to the trapped tributes and found that they had disappeared, although the water around a launch platform was tinted pink.

"We have to get to the mainland. It would be easiest to just run for it and circle back once we get some cover," Finnick suggested urgently.

As we cautiously left the mouth of the Cornucopia, we encountered another set of dripping tributes. Finnick made quick work of the closest one with his trident; the other soon collapsed with an echoing scream. As Finnick pulled his weapon out of the dead tribute, Enobaria, Victor from my district, and her arena partner also rounded the corner. I lopped off her head before she even had time to register who I was. Glancing down at her body, I shrugged. She had always told us to get a clean kill the first day of the Games, and we could have our fun later on.

Splashed with blood and appearing a bit stunned, Katniss turned to me when Enobaria's partner was taken out by her cuff. She reminded us that we'd better get out of there before we were surrounded. I pushed Finnick and Peeta ahead of us, telling them we'd cover them. I snatched a second belt of knives for Clove, and Katniss grabbed the other bow and sheath of arrows and we ran after them. I kept Katniss in front of me, constantly glancing over my shoulder.

"Behind!" I shouted as I spied a tribute readying his spear in our direction.

She immediately skidded to a halt, sand flying, turned, and notched an arrow, letting it fly into the tribute's throat. We reached the tree line, just as his partner shrieked and crumpled, and plunged into the forest. We kept up our pace for a few more minutes before finally slowing down to catch our breath. A branch snapped to our right and we spun toward the sound, bow and swords at the ready. Peeta and Finnick walked out with their hands raised.

"Easy there, sweetheart," Peeta said. Katniss' face distorted comically and she picked up a rock, but threw it only halfheartedly.

"Good thing your aim with that bow is better than your throwing arm," Finnick added with a teasing grin.

"Any sign of water?" I asked. First rule of the arena, find sources of water, food, and shelter if not provided by the Cornucopia.

"Nothing that we saw," Peeta sighed. "Let's get to the tail end and find the others. Maybe they'll have had better luck."

We stuck fairly close to the tree line, moving quickly and making sure that the Cornucopia was within line of sight. It wouldn't help anyone if we went too far around, and it was safe to assume that the other tributes would be either hiding deep in the jungle without a weapon by now or still fighting over them.

I had experienced extreme thirst at the academy, but never combined with this level of heat and humidity. We were losing water, rapidly, and needed to find a way to hydrate ourselves. By the time that we reached the tail, we were all covered in sweat and breathing heavily. I advised that we take a short break, and the group responded by collapsing heavily on the ground, Finnick muttering about how he wasn't as young as he used to be. I stayed on my feet, alert for any signs of other tributes or Gamemaker mischief. There typically wouldn't be any while the bloodbath was occurring, but you never knew when the Capitol thought things got too boring. I only allowed them a few minutes, and urged them back onto their feet, this time moving inland and uphill. Katniss, familiar with tracking, quickly picked up their trail. We moved at a slower rate than we had before, the dense foliage and heat slowing us down. After a while, we began to hear voices ahead.

"Clove?" I yelled, gripping my swords in case it wasn't them.

"Cato!" she replied. There was some rustling ahead of us, and Rory and Thresh walked down to meet us.

Katniss gave Rory a quick hug, which he returned rather hesitantly. He asked if she had found any water and her quick head shake seemed to deflate him. It seemed that they had no more luck than we did. The rest of the group sat in a circle, fiddling with the foliage.

We sank down with them, my first rest since we entered the arena. Finnick and Peeta distributed the weapons to the others. I gave one of my swords to Brutus, who accepted it with a small smirk, and then offered the knife belt to Clove. She looked at it in my hands, and then looked back at me.

"What's the point, Cato?" she demanded. "I almost drowned trying to drag this useless thing to shore. She panicked the moment we hit the water, and if it wasn't for Thresh, our cuffs would have gone off and we probably would have sunk."

I stared at her, stunned, and rose, signaling to Katniss to do the same. I squatted down in front of her and slapped her soundly across the face. Once again, I grasped her shoulders and shook her, this time angrily.

"What is _wrong_ with you Clove?" I demanded. "You spent the better part of your childhood training for these Games, and now you're going to die drowning in self-pity and doubt? You should never have volunteered for the Games this year if you were going to be a pathetic waste of space. If this is how you're going to act, then stay still and I'll put my sword through you now."

The group erupted in shouts and Katniss tried to push me backward away from my district partner. I, however, refused to budge. One of the most vital points taught to us at the academy was to take out an ally immediately when they became a liability to prevent them from endangering the group, and most importantly, yourself. I gripped my sword tightly in my right hand, unencumbered by Katniss, and glared down at Clove's bowed head.

"I'm sorry Cato. I forgot myself," she whispered. She met my eyes, and I finally saw the girl who had trained with me for over 7 years. The hardness had returned to her eyes, and her hands squeezed the handles in the knife belt I had thrown at her in my anger.

"Last chance, Clove," I warned her, still angry. "Let's keep moving. We need to find water and we're still exposed here."

I set off in an upwardly diagonal back toward the direction of the mouth of the Cornucopia. About an hour in, Clove and the Morphling were so far behind us, I couldn't see them anymore.

"Let's take a rest here," I ordered. "I'm going back for Clove."

I took off, momentarily forgetting about the chain. When I heard the beep, I turned to Katniss and found her sprawled across the floor of the jungle. A snort escaped me, and I asked if she wanted to come or if I should carry her.

She picked herself up off the ground and brushed herself off, stalking toward me. That earned me another punch on the arm and a quizzical look from Peeta.

"What's with your boyfriend?" I asked Katniss as we trudged our way back to Clove.

"He's just worried about me," was her quick response. I shrugged. I already knew of Peeta's weakness for Katniss, and fully intended to exploit it when the time came. Peeta and Finnick, both being Victors, however accidental Peeta's win was, were a formidable team that I could not overlook.

We found Clove and the Morphling about 3 minutes behind us. They both had tired, Clove from having to drag and push the Victor forward, and the Morphling was beginning to suffer the effects of withdrawal. We waited until Clove's breathing slowed, and I picked up the Morphling.

"The group's not too far ahead, Clove," I said encouragingly. "We'll take a longer break and see if we can get some food."

By the time we made it back, Finnick had woven bowls from plants, and filled them with nuts.

"You sure those are safe?" I questioned, skeptical.

"Yes they are!" Rue trilled. "There's a bush that grows these outside our house in District 11. They're really filling, and it was all we ate sometimes."

I put a nut in my mouth, chewing slowly. Dry and sweet, it would work for a small snack but would not give us any hydration or necessary nutrients to keep our energy high. Our training had only scratched the surface of edible foods, running on the assumption that we would be provided some or we would hunt.

"I heard some animals in the canopy of the trees earlier," I said, turning to Katniss. "Let's go see if we can bring back something bigger."

"We'll come with you," Peeta volunteered quickly. Finnick rolled his eyes and got up as well.

"No Peeta, you'd better stay here," Katniss cautioned. "Remember last year?"

He grimaced, but didn't argue with her.

I turned to Clove, sticking a small twig into the ground. I made two lines in the Earth, one marking the present time, and one marking a time about an hour later.

"If we're not back by the time the shadow reaches this line," I instructed her, "have Peeta and Finnick come after us. If nobody is back by dark, take the group and find safer ground. Understand?"

She gave me a determined nod, her jaw set.

Katniss and I set off, moving horizontally this time. We settled into a location, and she readied an arrow for a giant rat in a tree when the canons started firing. The bloodbath had concluded. The booms scared off the animals, but Katniss and I were too busy counting shots to care at the moment. Twenty-six times the cannon sounded before the jungle fell silent again, the birds resuming their chatter. I grinned; twenty-six down, twenty-two to go before I could go home victorious.

Katniss, on the other hand, sank down against a tree, her head between her knees.

"At least four of those are mine," she whispered mournfully. At my questioning look, she continued, "I shot an arrow at one those eight tributes in front of the Cornucopia. It killed one and he fell backwards into the water. He dragged his partner in with him, and the other tributes jumped into the water to try to get away from me. Then, there was a lot of screaming, and 4 tributes were floating in the water facedown: the tribute I shot, his partner, and the two others that jumped into their wedge of water."

"It's similar to what one of the tributes did a while back," I mused, "electrocuting his competitors. These cuffs sure are interesting."

My words seemed to have no effect, so I attempted to distract her. Nudging her knees with my foot, I pointed above her to the canopy of the tree she was reclining on. A large tree rat perched up there, glancing down at us curiously. Her countenance immediately changed into a look of extreme concentration, and she took it down with a clean shot through the eyes. Unfortunately, it became stuck up there. Sighing, I raised my sword and swung it down at the soft trunk of the tree to see if I could chop it down.

As I yanked my sword out of the bark, a liquid began to run out of the tree.

"Katniss," I said in a low tone. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Water," she murmured. "The water is inside the trees! We need to get back and let the others know!"

I grabbed her elbow before she could take off, again pointing above us at the dead rat.

"Can you climb?" she questioned urgently, looking skeptically at my bulky form.

"Kind of," I admitted. "I won't be able to make it all the way up there, but I can get close enough for you to get it."

We managed to get high enough for her to knock the rat down and, back on the ground, I enlarged the hole with one of her arrows. Refreshed, I picked up the rat and we headed back to the group. Halfway there, I heard a rustling behind us. Putting a hand over Katniss' mouth, I swiftly pulled her behind a tree. Gesturing in the direction of the disturbance, I let go of her and looked around the tree. I saw a set of tributes tiptoeing through the foliage. They had been following us for some time, at least watching us since we found water, since their mouths were wet. I gestured for Katniss to target the closest one to her, but before she could pull an arrow from her quiver, a trident went flying and hit one squarely in the chest. Katniss took out the other one with her arrow before his cuff could do so. If they had alliances, his scream would have given away our location.

Finnick and Peeta came out of the trees to cannon fire, Finnick's grin rubbing me the wrong way.

"I could have handled it," I grumbled. "Anyways, we found water."

They perked up at this information and we headed back to the others. Once there, I had Clove dig out a hole with her knives in a slim tree, which the others all got a drink from. A gasp from Katniss had me whirling around, sword at the ready. Instead of charging tributes, I saw a silver parachute float down and land on the Morphling's head. Katniss recognized the spile that was sent by our mentors. Another parachute with a larger load settled down by us, containing fire starting materials and a small pot. Katniss skinned the rat, and, with some herbs gathered by Rue, managed to cook up a rather tasty stew.

Finally hydrated and full, we decided to move away from our position in case someone saw the smoke from the fire. Once again taking the lead, I headed in the same direction that Katniss and I had taken previously, but with more of an uphill angle.

I turned around to tell the others to keep their eyes open, when my sword, which I had been using to clear brush, struck something and the last sounds I heard before I felt my heart stop were a brief electric buzz and Katniss' muffled screams.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I was playing an April Fools version of a HG game, and the first time I played it I exploded all over the arena because I stepped off my platform after the announcer said "one" but before the gong. Come to find out I was not alone when my friend and a bunch of others said they did the exact same thing. Turns out that the game was rigged to kill you after about 4 seconds no matter what you did so...

Thanks for all my reviewers/story alerts/favorites! Feel free to leave me a note if you liked it!


	9. Chapter 9: Katniss

Later on, I could have reflected on the irony of Cato warning us to be on our guard, and then walking directly into the force field. At the time, however, I was more concerned with the brief but painful electric shock which was passed to me through the chain.

The instant his sword hit the force field, his body was flung backward and into a tree, where he convulsed several times before becoming still. Both of our cuffs had opened and fallen to the ground, emitting the odd spark at times. Peeta tried to run to me, but Finnick instead grabbed his elbow and used his weight to muscle them toward Cato. Rory and Thresh helped me off the ground, my chest feeling like it had been punched, my head throbbing. As I pushed off the ground, a pain in my wrist dropped me back on my butt. I brought it up to my face, and tried to focus on it. There was a ring of red, angry flesh where the metal had burned away the skin before it released me.

The boys helped me sit against a tree, and began digging into the trunk for water. Suddenly, everybody in the group let out a simultaneous cry, and collapsed on the ground. The Panem anthem began to play, and Plutarch Heavensbee's face appeared in the sky and he began to speak:

"Hello tributes! I'm sorry to stop the action so soon into the first day, but we seem to be having a technical malfunction with one set of tributes' cuffs. I must ask that everyone stay on the ground until I give the announcement to continue. Should anyone violate this order, they will be shocked until compliance is met. Thank you and please stand by."

Head still pounding, I looked up and saw a hovercraft which stopped above us. A ladder descended and four Peacemakers climbed down, one of them holding another set of cuffs and chain. Wordlessly, he placed one onto my burned wrist and pulled me to Cato.

"Commencing test pulse," he muttered into an earpiece, after fastening the other end to Cato's limp wrist and tossing it onto his chest.

A quick shock, smaller than what I had received from the force field, ran through me, making me shriek like Prim with a spider and I collapsed back into the dirt. Cato, however, sat up with a gasp.

"Cato!" I gasped hoarsely. I attempted to crawl to him but the Peacekeeper's words stopped me.

"District 12!" he barked. "I would recommend you stay still until Gamemaker Heavensbee gives the order to continue the Games, unless you would like to be shocked again."

He held up a small, black device in his hand with a cruel smile, daring me to move again. I simply stared back at him, wishing that he was a tribute in the Games. He would be one I would have no remorse putting an arrow between those smug eyes.

"Alright men, let's get back to the entertainment," he yelled over his shoulder. The four then each grabbed a rung on the ladder, and the hovercraft swallowed them up again. Plutarch's cheerful face appeared in the sky again, and I felt my hatred for him and all things Capitol grow until it physically hurt my chest.

"I am glad to announce that the malfunction has been rectified, and let the 75th Hunger Games recommence!" he trilled. "May the odds be ever in your favor!"

His announcement was immediately followed by another round of booming cannons; only four this time.

I immediately made my way to Cato's side, tripping over my own feet. It seemed that the double shocks had completely drawn away my balance and coordination. I didn't have far to go, and fell down by his head. He had lain down again, his eyes shut, and I could only begin to fathom how terribly he must have felt. I pushed back his hair, and grey eyes opened to stare up at me.

"What happened?" he moaned.

"You walked into a force field, idiot," I responded, reproachfully. "You almost got me killed too." I showed him the burn under the cuff, which seemed to be looser than the one I previously had. I focused my eyes on it, a harder task than I remembered. It didn't have my or Cato's name. In fact, all the identifications seemed to have been scratched off. I felt sick to my stomach; this had belonged to a now dead tribute.

Peeta must have seen my face pale, because he came rushing to me and gathered me up into his arms. I allowed him a quick hug, but gently pushed him aside to check on Cato. Finnick snuck up behind me.

"The force field stopped his heart," he whispered into my ear. "I managed to pound it beating again and get him breathing before the cuffs paralyzed us. I guess the test they administered brought him back to consciousness."

He turned my head to face him with a finger under my chin.

"So how about a kiss for my trouble?" he continued, his face ridiculously close to mine. I smiled coyly back at him, and put my hand into his arrogant, handsome face and pushed him away from me.

I turned back to Cato, and asked Finnick, after he stopped laughing, to help me get him seated against a tree. Peeta had already taken one of Finnick's woven bowls and filled it with the warm tree water. He held it out to me, but I gestured for him to give it to Cato first.

"How do you feel?" I asked him.

"Fine," Cato bit out, his teeth gritted and his hands trembling. "I feel just peachy."

"You and Katniss both need to just rest," Rue suggested with a bright smile. "I've touched the electric fence before while trying to get to an apple in the orchard. It just takes a couple of hours before you'll start to feel better."

My first reaction to Rue's innocent words was shock. They would send a small girl like her to an area that had a shock risk? She must have noticed my face, because she went on to explain that they sent the children into the tallest parts of the tree, where the branches would have buckled under the weight of the adults. She had been reaching for a far lying apple when her grip on the branch slipped and her hand came into contact with the fence. She had fallen from the tree, but a worker on the ground managed to catch her. The overseer had given her the rest of the day off.

"Let's set up camp here," Brutus ordered. "It'll be getting dark soon. Katniss, give me a set of your bow and arrows and Rue and I will get some dinner."

I handed him my spare set and they traipsed off into the jungle, Rue almost jogging to keep up with his long strides. As I was pondering how Brutus was going to get around Rue's adverse reaction to killing, Peeta let out a startled cry and Finnick swore violently. Turning to them, slowly so my head did not explode, I saw that they were kneeled by Clove and the Morphling, who still had not risen after Plutarch's order. As I stared, Cato had managed to get to his feet and was unsteadily lumbering toward their prone forms. I followed after him silently, Peeta coming quickly to support me.

He roughly shook Clove's shoulder, telling her that now was not the time to rest yet. When she didn't respond, he fumbled for a pulse. After a few seconds with his fingers at her neck, he stiffened and quickly stood.

"We need to move away from here," he said stonily. "The hovercrafts need to collect their bodies."

He made it exactly three paces before collapsing.

"We need to wait for Rue and Brutus to return," Peeta rationalized. "They won't know where we've been, and, even if Brutus can track us, he might think we abandoned them."

Thresh and Rory dragged the still unconscious Cato against a trunk.

"How did they die?" Rory questioned. "It couldn't have been another tribute. We all ate the same thing. What could it have been?" He was almost shouting at this point, scared to the point of tears.

"The Morphling's heart," Finnick replied solemnly. "I've never seen her without the drug. I guess years of abuse weakened her heart, and the sudden electric jolt was just enough to cause it to fail. Clove must have gotten the killing shock immediately after being stunned. The other two cannons must have been for the other Morphling reaped and his arena partner."

He swore again, and motioned to Peeta to help him pull down some of the broad leaves from the trees. They covered the bodies with them, and we sat facing them, nobody saying a word. I gazed over at Cato, and his face was troubled, even unconsious. Remembering how he had comforted me after my breakdown with Prim the night before our launch, I brought his head down into my lap, stroking his hair. Thinking back to what he told me about the academy at District 2, I wondered how close he had been to Clove. Surely they had been in the same classes and even trained together. They appeared to be of similar age. I hadn't even thought to ask. I thought back on all those dead tributes, whose names I hadn't even thought to memorize much less their ages, siblings, favorite songs, color, memories.

Sighing, I brought my gaze up to my allies. The first day of the arena had already taken their toll on them. Rory's eyes had taken a panicked, hunted expression that I knew would never leave them, even if he was to become a Victor. Peeta sat beside me, his head resting on his fists against his bent knees, breathing heavily. Even Finnick's eyes had lost their sparkle and snap as he stared blankly at the covered bodies. He won his own Games 10 years ago, and must have at least been well acquainted with all the Victors. He may have even known the Morphling before she had gotten to this stage, when her body was younger and better able to tolerate the drug. Thresh appeared unaffected, but he kept a hand on Rory's shoulder, his jaw tense.

Lost in our own thoughts, nobody noticed the silver parachute that landed by my feet until I kicked it. Opening the lid on the jar that it carried, it contained a cream that smelled medicinal. Assuming that it was meant for me, I applied it lightly to my burns. To my relief, it immediately stopped the pain and created a barrier on my wrist to protect it from being rubbed raw by my new cuff. Thinking back, I remembered that Cato had been holding a sword, which was currently lodged in a tree, when he hit the barrier. Picking up one of his large hands, I examined the palm and applied the cream to the scratches he had acquired when he was tossed back by the force field. His other hand, however, was a bloody, burned mess. Another parachute quickly floated down, this time carrying a small first aid kit. Fishing the bandages out of it, I applied cream liberally to the inside of his hand, and carefully wrapped his hand in gauze. Hopefully it was the same medicine that Haymitch had sent me last year when I had been burned. If so, we'd be fine in a few hours.

Rue and Brutus returned about half an hour later with another tree rat and bowlfuls of berries and nuts. We explained to them about Clove and the Morphling, and we moved a short distance away, Rory and Thresh supporting a still insensible Cato. I watched the hovercraft reappear, this time a four pronged claw descended and grabbed Clove, the Morphling dangling below her on the chain like a contorted puppet, swinging in the slight breeze. This time, I did lose my lunch behind a clump of bushes with brightly colored, sweet smelling flowers. Rory was kind enough to bring me a bowl of water to rinse out my mouth.

Peeta and Finnick remade the fire, and set the pot over it to boil water while I skinned the tree rat. I shook Cato awake to eat, and he took his rations without a word. He still required some help to sit up, but his hands seemed steadier as he shoveled the stew into his mouth. I smiled sardonically to myself, pondering how furious Effie must be with Haymitch and the other mentors for not sending us utensils, forcing us to eat with our hands. I wondered if he had actually done it on purpose.

We moved away from the smoke of the fire again after our meal, this time following the force field. Because Cato refused to accept assistance to walk now that he was awake, Finnick found him a long stick which he used to lean on when he felt weak. We moved about a quarter mile before the light dimmed, and we decided to camp for the night. I dreaded the nightly recap of the dead; dreaded seeing the tributes which I had personally killed; dreaded seeing the first two members of the alliance to fall. When the Capitol seal appeared in the sky and the national anthem finished, the faces started to appear. Because of the nature of these Games, not a single district was spared. They stuck to the color code for partners, but listed each dead tribute by district number. Two tributes dead from District 1; Enobaria, who Cato had beheaded at the Cornocopia, and Clove from District 2 (I felt Cato tense beside me, and I grabbed his hand in the dark which he squeezed tightly); three dead from District 3; three from District 4, including the old woman that had volunteered (Finnick had let out a choked sound when her face was displayed and bowed his head); all four from District 5; all four from District 6; three from District 7; Cecelia and two others from District 8; three from District 9; two from District 10; Chaff from District 11, whom I recalled drinking and laughing with Haymitch during training; and, finally, Justine from District 12. Total from just one day of Games: 32 dead, 16 still alive.

I thought I had prepared myself to see her when I saw Cecelia's face in the sky, but I broke down crying anyways. I sobbed through the closing music, angry with myself for giving up on her so quickly. I should have stood up against Cato when he refused to allow them into the alliance. I should have protected her against the distortion of the Captiol's moralities. I should have thought of her family back in 12, who must hate me for the same reasons I hated myself. More than a year's worth of normal Hunger Games tributes had died today, all in the name of entertainment for the Capitol and punishment for past crimes that few alive had witnessed in the Districts. The unbalanced situation threatened to bring the rebellious nature in me back to the surface, but all it took was Prim's cruel smile in my dream to bring me back to the present. Whatever Snow had planned for her should I die in the arena, I had to prevent from occurring at all costs.

I pulled myself together, breathing deeply, and registered the feel of Cato's now familiar arms surrounding me. He had buried his face in my shoulder, his own breathing uneven. I waited, my arms wrapping tightly around him as well, until he loosened his arms. Determination coupled with grief reflected back in our eyes, and I looked at the group. We were all exhausted, and now emotionally downtrodden. Not a single one of us had been spared the agony of seeing someone we were familiar with, close to, in the sky that night. A loud snap had us all on our feet, but it was simply Brutus, who had managed to crack a two inch thick branch clean in half, his face a mask of fury. I wondered if it had been Enobaria he was currently mourning or even if it was more than one person.

"Cato and Katniss are too weak right now to hunt tributes," Brutus stated. "Let's set up a watch schedule and get some rest tonight. We'll start tomorrow."

That's right. I was part of the Career tribute pack now. We would have to go around hunting stray tributes, and then finally hunt each other when the alliance inevitably dissolved.

It was decided that Thresh and Rory would take the first watch, Peeta and Finnick the second, Brutus and Rue the third, and Cato and I would be allowed to sleep through the night to recover from our encounter with the force field. The headache had receded at that point, but I still had a stiffness in my joints. I knew Cato had to be feeling it even worse than I. Neither of us argued with the arrangement.

I sat down at the base of a tree, reclining against it and wiggled to get comfortable. Cato settled himself on the other side of the tree, his recovered sword close by. Finnick pulled down some more broad leaves and set them on the ground. Peeta laid down next to me, while Finnick simply laid his head on my outstretched legs with a sly smile. I swatted at his head playfully, but let him stay. I was still grateful to him for reviving Cato. I fell asleep with Peeta's hand clutched in my own.

Several hours later, I was startled awake by a loud clanging of bells. Everyone in the group was immediately at the ready, grasping at their weapons and eyes scanning the dark jungle for danger. Lightning appeared fairly close to us after the 12th ring, rattling the air with thunder.

"Let's move away from here!" I yelled between the thunderclaps. "We won't get any sleep staying anyways."

My headache had disappeared and my muscles had lost most of their weakness. Cato, too, seemed stronger. We set off downhill at a diagonal away from the lightning, Cato and I bringing up the rear. Quietly, Cato again pulled me behind a tree and we fell behind the rest of the group. Putting a finger to his lips, he peeked from behind it. I began to panic, thinking that he meant to sever the alliance early. As I turned to hiss a question at him, I heard shuffling in the bushes. Two figures walked past us, Cato holding me back.

"Follow behind," he breathed into my ear. "You target the one on the left; I'll take out the one on the right. Move quickly. Stay quiet."

I wasn't sure why it was so imperative for me to stay quiet, since the thunder was loud enough to cover us. But we snuck up behind them, and I readied an arrow at the back of the tribute's head. She went down soundlessly, and her partner turned to us startled. Cato chopped off her head just as easily as he had on the beach, her flowing, red hair flying. Two cannons sounded, and we went around the bodies to catch up with the others. I heard Peeta calling for me, probably startled to find that Cato and I were missing and afraid the cannons were for us.

"We're fine!" I yelled back. We caught up to them, and he pulled me into a crushing hug.

"We heard the cannons, and you weren't there," he panted. "I had thought…"

"I know," I shushed. "I'm fine. Cato heard someone following us and we took them out before they could cause us any trouble. I didn't know either them, but I remember seeing the red-head during training."

"I think they may have been stealing from us," Finnick remembered. "I had made ten bowls and one was missing earlier. It was one that was filled with the leftover stew. I had assumed that I had simply misplaced it, but the bowl showed up again, empty. It was an interesting strategy, but wouldn't have gotten them too far."

Sighing at adding yet another tick to my kill count, I concentrated on Prim, steeling my resolve again. The thunder and lightning had stopped, and we decided to just spend the rest of the night where we were. When the first drops of rain started to fall, I reveled in the prospect of being able to cool off. By the time the first drop fell into my open mouth, it had turned into a torrential downpour. As the taste registered, I heard Rue scream and the world turned red before my eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thanks to everyone who reviewed! They definitely influence the way I write and the approach I take to certain situations. I briefly toyed with the idea of having them settle into an area filled with unicorns who shot rainbows at them through their horns, but I'll save that for a crackfic ;). It's my theory that in the arena in Catching Fire, the hell of the clockwork didn't start until midnight, since the Games started around 10 am, but we didn't start off with a giant wave washing on shore, and nobody mentioned seeing a lightning show at noon that day. Thanks for reading!

**Edit:** I had someone point out to me that my math didn't add up, which they were totally right. I edited the recap of the dead tributes and added a current to the time tally.


	10. Chapter 10: Cato

Rue's scream directly from behind startled me and I turned toward it, sword held at a horizontal swing. Unnerved by the driving sheets of blood that were coming down, filling my mouth and nostrils, all I could see was the outline of a large bulk in front of me. Instinctively, I blindly stabbed forward, and felt my sword meet another metallic object with a clank before I was harshly shoved into the ground.

"Watch where you point that thing, boy," Brutus grunted at me.

"Stay where you are," he addressed to the rest of the group. "We can't go blindly stumbling around the jungle. Find some leaves and just stay under them. Whatever this is has to pass in a bit."

Not able to directly look up, I fumbled around above my head and found some of the broad leaves Finnick used for bedding earlier. Grabbing my chain, I found Katniss' hand and, pulling her against my chest, backed into a tree. Sliding down, the leaves held above our heads, I was finally able to breathe properly and looked around.

The entire jungle appeared to be bathed in blood; the patches of jungle where the moonlight shown through the canopy of trees were bathed in red. Sighing, I reclined my head against the bark of the tree, closing my eyes against the headache quickly forming.

"Are you ok?" Katniss asked quietly.

"Do you still have the first aid kit?" I asked her.

"Yes," she replied, reaching into the pocket of her jumpsuit and passing it back to me.

Opening the small box, I pulled out a bottle of painkillers, dry swallowing four blood covered tablets. Any water I got from the tree behind me right now would be tainted; there was no telling if the rain was poisoned or not.

"Is it bad?" she continued.

"I'm not familiar with being weak," I confessed. "I'm not quite sure how to handle it."

"Well that's what the alliance is for, right?" she said.

"No, Katniss," I corrected. "The alliance is simply a show of force. If this was a proper alliance, the other members would be trying to find an opening to kill us while I'm not at my peak."

Sighing, she asked, "Do you trust anyone ever?"

I tried to think back on the last person I trusted completely.

"My sister," was the only honest reply I could come up with. "Trust is not something that I can afford; that either of us can afford. Right now, even Peeta is not to be trusted. I know you think he'll give up his life for you, and maybe he would, but he has an obligation to Finnick. If he honors the agreement, he might even be a partner in our demise. I have trust in your desire to see your sister again alive. Until you can prove to me that you really will do anything to escape the arena, I cannot consider you completely in my trust."

"I know you're right," she suddenly stated, hugging her knees in to her chest. "But after all I've been through with Peeta, I can't just abandon him. Rory is my best friend's little brother, and it's entirely my fault that he's here now. Rue, even, reminds me of my little sister. If anyone in this group dies, I die with them. You didn't feel anything when you found out that Clove died?"

"She was my district partner. She was from home. That's it," I stoically replied.

"You grieved her," she accused.

"I was embarrassed for her," I confessed. "She spent so long training herself and her mind for these Games, only to have whatever chances she had of winning stolen from her by chance. Her family will now be looked down on by the district for her lack of action. For people like Clove and me, who are for one reason or another cast out of our families, it's the only way we can make a life for ourselves. People hero-worship Victors at home and your life is all but taken care of by the Capitol. It is the highest possible achievement for anyone."

"So you're doing this to earn back your family's respect?" she questioned hesitantly.

"No," I admitted. "If I had to say I was doing it for someone, it would be for me. Maybe my sister," I added. "Maybe she'll come live with me and leave that bastard of a husband of hers if I had the money and power to protect her."

She let out another sigh, and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"For our sisters," she whispered after a bit. I grunted my accordance.

As Brutus predicted, the rain shut off suddenly after a short while. Dropping the leaves finally, my arms began tingling from being held up so long. As I was stretching them, I felt an elbow dig into my back and I was pushed roughly against the tree.

"Try that shit again, boy," Brutus spat at me, "and you'll be-"

I felt myself be suddenly released, and spun around. Katniss had strung an arrow, its metal tip currently pressed insistently against Brutus' temple.

"Now's not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves," Peeta soothed, his body tense and eyes flickering between Katniss and Brutus.

"No," Brutus agreed angrily. "I'll enjoy killing you personally, kid," he tossed back at me as he stomped away, dragging Rue behind him. There was the instructor I knew.

Placing a hand on Katniss' shoulder when I noticed she was still tensely grasping her bow, I felt her relax and gave her a small smile of thanks.

"It's too risky to go to the beach right now to clean off," Finnick stated. "Let's see if we can find an area that the rain didn't touch, and settle down there. We'll try for the beach in the morning."

While I was not keen on spending the night covered in slowly drying blood, I agreed with him. We headed back in the direction of the tail of the Cornucopia and quickly reached a portion of jungle that was not touched by blood. In fact, it appeared that the rain had abruptly stopped in a perfectly straight line that ran from the jungle's edge back toward the force field. The realization hit me hard: certain sections of the jungle were booby-trapped. I tensed, wondering if our presence was enough to trigger them. This was the section with the lighting and thunder, something we would not be able to avoid or even run from.

Katniss, not noticing that I had stopped near the edge of the blood line, triggered a beep from the cuffs and turned back to me with a questioning gaze.

Explaining my thoughts on the arena being divided into segments of traps, but unsure what set them off, Brutus nodded and suggested that we should stay near the border of the blood rain. If the lighting started up, we could easily escape back into it and try to spend the night there.

After several tense minutes waiting for a jolt to strike, nothing happened. We slowly set up camp again, laying down the broad leaves and rotating watches. I caught Peeta offering his hand to Katniss, but she shook her head, lying down next to me instead. I caught the look of surprised hurt he sent her, as well as Finnick's analyzing glance before he fell heavily onto the ground with an exaggerated sigh. I was glad that she was accepting what had to happen and was beginning to emotionally separate herself from the rest of the group. I offhandedly wondered before I fell asleep which possibility the Capitol citizens were most distraught by: the thought of sweet, innocent Prim being alone for the rest of her life or the disintegration of the most beloved love story in the history of the Games.

I was awoken several hours later by Finnick's voice, sounding distressed. Immediately snatching up my sword, I pulled Katniss up with me. He and Peeta were facing two former Victors, one of which was grasping a pair of hand axes, the other a small coil of metal wire, and seeming close friends of his. I heard Katniss' bow strain and was prepared to charge the pair, when Finnick's words stopped me short.

"Let them go," he ordered us, eyes hard in the predawn light. "I saved your life, Cato; you owe me one. Just let them go this time."

He turned back to the pair, addressing them. "Johanna, Beetee, get out of here. I can't guarantee you that the next time I see you I can be so generous. Consider this to be a parting gift."

The partners backed away, the girl's eyes shifting from Katniss' still armed bow to my sword, held at the ready.

"Say hi to Annie for me," she said with a tight grin. "See you around, Finnick."

"I hope not, Johanna," he softly replied, as they disappeared into the jungle. The entire exchange had gone unnoticed by the rest of the group, exhausted from the first day of Games.

I decided to let it go. This was only the first day of the Games, and I was satisfied with the number of dead tributes, as well as my participation. He was right too, I owed him; we were on even ground again.

"Get some rest," I instructed them. "I'll take over watch for the rest of the night."

I relaxed my grip on the hilt of the sword and sank back down onto the ground, Katniss following.

"You too," I murmured to her. "I can keep guard alone."

Peace settled in the jungle again, the only sounds were the rustling wind through the leaves and the occasional call of a frog. As the light of the artificial sun hit the tops of the trees, a tree rat scurried across my boots, which I reflexively stabbed with my sword. Seems like we might have a breakfast. As the sky brightened, the rest of the group began to stir. Gazing between the rat at the end of my sword and the slowly waking Katniss, a devious thought entered my head. Weighing the dangers of a high pitched scream to my amusement, amusement won out. I dangled the tree rat above her head, its blood slowly dripping on her already caked face. When she finally registered that blood was raining on her face again, she panicked and sat up quickly, nose hitting the exposed incisors of the rat. Letting out a high pitched yelp, she quickly scurried backward away from it, the rest of the group quickly sprinting over to see the source of the disturbance.

They discovered Katniss sitting on top of my stomach, punching me wherever she could reach, while I laughed myself silly, defending half heartedly against her blows. I had not laughed like that since my first year at the academy. When Rue asked Finnick if we had snapped, Katniss told them what I had done, inserting a few curse words in her explanation. Rolling his eyes, Brutus removed the rat and began to skin it.

"Do we still have the fire starting kit?" he asked Finnick.

"Whoops," was the reply. Finnick tilted his face and hands toward the sky mournfully, falling to his knees. "Oh whatever shall we do without a way to make a fire?"

A silver parachute quickly followed with another kit. Chortling, he and Peeta left to gather some dry wood. Rory and Thresh went to collect berries and nuts, leaving Katniss still sitting on top of me. She gave me one last punch before scrambling off of me, a light blush scattering across her cheeks. Muttering to herself, she opened the kit and readied the materials. At least we gave the Capitol something to wake up to.

After breakfast, we decided that the safest place for us to set up a camp was inside the Cornucopia. Our numbers would help us should anyone else taken shelter there to help drive them out. Making sure that we had gathered all our supplies and weapons, we stepped out into the open area of the beach. It was abandoned as was the Cornucopia when we reached it. The weapons had been picked through, but a few knives and heavy maces littered its floor. I hoped that there were no other alliances left in the arena other than ours. The pair we encountered last night was alone; there were only 8 pairs left, 4 of them were in our group. These Games might be over within a few days at this rate. I can't remember a past Game where so many had died the first day.

We each took a turn cleaning ourselves in the water. Our sponsors sent us some soaps and shampoos, probably not being able to stand the sight of Finnick being less pretty than his standard. We washed out our jumpsuits but had to wear them wet since they couldn't come off all the way.

Around 10 o'clock by the sun, the ground started vibrating, not strong enough to be an earthquake. A loud crashing sound quickly followed, coming from a section of the arena near the tail end of the Cornucopia. We all gathered at the edge of the Cornucopia's mouth to watch a giant wave, extending above the treetops, wash through a part of the jungle and drain onto the beach. Two cannon booms sounded, and a pair of tributes, one female and one male, washed out of the jungle onto the shore. I recognized the female to be the sister Victor from District 1. 7 pairs of tributes left.

When the sun was directly overhead, the lightning started up again. When that stopped, we heard rain pattering down in the section next to it. We spent the rest of the day categorizing the different sections of the arena, noting the particularly nasty sections. It seemed to be based on a rotational schedule rather than motion triggered, and on an hourly cycle. We would be able to use that information to hunt and collect water.

Rory, not wanting to be left behind again, begged Katniss to teach him how to shoot. It took the better part of the day for the boy to get the hang of stringing the arrows, but he was the one who made our kill for dinner that day.

Night fell on a relatively uneventful day, and the 4 faces of the dead tributes from the previous day and this morning floated into the sky. Watches were set, and we settled into the relative safety of the Cornucopia. Besides being awoken by the thunder at midnight, the night passed peacefully and I woke early the next morning, ready for the tribute hunt.

Brutus and Rue would stay behind to defend the camp, and the rest of us would comb through the sections of the jungle, one at a time after the traps had finished. We would start with the wave section after it had washed up onto the beach and go in a counter-clockwise circle until noon, when we would return for lunch, and resume our hunt.

When the rumblings of the wave terminated, we gathered our supplies and reentered the jungle. The ground was still slick with water and several times I had to steady Katniss when she slipped. We progressed through the arena in a circle, finding traces of campsites and trails, most of them ending nowhere. By noon, we had made no progress, and were becoming frustrated. I've seen Gamemakers become antsy much more quickly than this, and it was only a matter of time before they decided to put an extra twist in. We made our way back to the beach, and I could tell that while Katniss, Finnick, and I were frustrated at the lack of kills, the rest of the hunting party was relieved. Their steps were light and they led the rest of us back. When we broke through the tree line onto the beach, the lighting struck a particularly tall tree and the thunder started rumbling throughout the arena. Unmistakable, however, was the water lighting up unnaturally, followed by a high pitched scream and a man's yell.

Breaking into a sprint, we rounded the Cornucopia to find Rue and Brutus' bodies floating in the water facedown and motionless. Katniss let out a wail and sat down heavily onto the sand. Peeta moved to immediately jump into the water, but Finnick held him back, tackling him to the ground when he fought.

"Don't," he hissed, standing. "The water could still be charged. You'll be electrocuted as well."

He crouched low to the ground, circling the beach and scratching at the sand, looking for something. He suddenly pounded his fists against the beach, cursing.

"I should have killed them when I had the chance," he yelled angrily.

"What happened to them, Finnick?" Katniss cried, tears flowing freely down her face.

"Beetee," he spat out. "He must have found some wire in the Cornucopia and rigged it so that the lightning would electrify the water. He's from the technology district and this is very similar to how he killed his competitors before. We should assume that the water is no longer safe to touch while the lightning storm is still going on."

We waited for the hovercraft to come collect the bodies, but none appeared. It wasn't until the lightning ceased and the blood rain had been pouring for a while that one appeared in the sky. Sending down a claw, it dipped down twice. I couldn't help comparing how tiny Rue looked in the teeth of that contraption. Their cuff, coming off in a similar way to Katniss and mine when we were electrocuted, was probably lost at the bottom of that trench of salt water. Apparently the Gamemakers did not consider it a priority because the hovercraft disappeared immediately after Brutus was lifted up, limbs dripping and dangling. There went another mentor.

Peeta tried to console Katniss, but she pushed him away, shrieking that he was just going to leave her too. She threw herself at me, and I, remember how she had confided that Rue reminded her of her sister, wrapped my arms around her. When her tears slowed and she sagged against me, strength spent, I picked her up and carried her into the Cornucopia. Laying her against the side, I motioned for Peeta to get her some water. Although seeming reluctant to leave her side, he obeyed. Rory came up to Katniss next, and took her hand. She looked at him with vacant eyes, muttering something about being sorry she hadn't taught him how to hunt earlier; how she wished that Gale wouldn't have been as selfish with his time in District 12, spending it all with her.

When Peeta and Finnick came back with a bowl of water, she took a few sips and bowed her head.

"We should split up now," she whispered. "Split the supplies and the weapons, and we'll go our separate ways. No more alliance, no more pity."

She turned to Peeta and said, "No more love."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thank you everyone who's reviewed and story alerted/favorited! They're all very encouraging to me! It was pointed out to me that my math was very off as far as tribute count goes, so the last chapter reflects that.


	11. Chapter 11: Katniss

"_No more love."_

I could immediately see the shock and devastation in Peeta's eyes as I uttered those words. In a few brief seconds, I had abandoned the two people that kept me alive since my father died: Peeta and Gale. Closing my eyes against his pain, flashes of my past with them came to me rapidly.

_Bread flung into the mud on a dreary day._

_Snares rapidly set by skilled hands._

_Purchased kisses in a cave._

_A stolen kiss in the forest._

_Strong arms that would do anything to keep me safe._

I had discarded those memories and made my selfish choice. I would rather live burdened with the blood of friends and face Gale's scorn and hate than allow Prim to be alone in the world. I would rather send an arrow, archery skills honed by hours in the woods with Gale, straight through Rory's head than to allow Prim to suffer Snow's deviousness alone. I would rather see Peeta's head fly through the air by Cato's sword, a head which thought of only me for so long, than allow Prim to face an unknown future without protection. I would face any and all future nightmares that both Snow and my own mind threw at me. For Prim.

Peeta, being who he was, naturally tried to stop me, rationalizing that we were still stronger together until the last of the loose pairs could be tracked down. He pulled me against him, my body tense against his and my arms held at my side, begging me not to do this.

"Snow wins, Peeta," I muttered. "I came into these Games with the goal of helping you or Rory escape, and Snow changed my mind for me."

I pushed myself away from him. "It's not fair to Finnick or Thresh for us to stay together anymore," I state, loudly enough for everyone to hear. "I'll just end up exploiting their weaknesses. This way, everybody has an equal chance of survival based on our individual skills. We've helped each other as much as we can."

"You don't speak for all of us, Katniss," Finnick scoffed. "Thresh, Rory, you guys still in?"

Rory gave a hesitant nod and looked up at Thresh, who looked at me.

"You're a coward," he rumbled quietly. Turning back to Finnick and Peeta, he told them, "We're still with you."

Outraged, I stepped toward him, my grip on the bow tightening. "What did you call me?"

"A coward," he stated. "You are afraid of getting too close to us. You're afraid of feeling. You want us dead, you need us dead; yet you hope not to be the person who kills us. You'd do anything to win, but you cannot stomach the idea of being our murderer. Go, hide in the jungle, and pray that we destroy each other so you don't have to get your hands dirty."

"You know nothing about me, Thresh," I shouted, angry and raw. "You do not get to assume anything, and you know nothing about what I've gone through. Think and do what you will; Cato and I are leaving."

With that said, I turned and stalked away from the group, biting back tears.

"Katniss, please wait!" I heard Peeta plead behind me. I stopped, not turning, Cato ahead of me looking back at the group. I felt myself be roughly turned and squeezed into a hug by powerful arms. I finally broke down and wrapped by arms around Peeta's chest, sobbing.

"Please take care of yourself," I choked out, not knowing what else to say. "Please still try to win, if not for yourself then at least for Finnick. It sounds like he has a girl at home. And take care of Prim for me if you do, swear it to me!"

"Katniss I swear on my love for you that Prim will be safe with me no matter what I have to do," he solemnly promised me. "I'll watch out for Rory as long as I can too."

That was my Peeta, steadfast and honorable. I allowed him one last lingering kiss, before pulling away, wiping at my tears. As I turned to go, I felt myself be jerked back by my free wrist into another hard chest. Finnick. He swept me into a dip, face hovering above mine seductively.

"Any last parting words for me, love?" he purred.

"Don't get Peeta killed," I said dryly. Did he take anything seriously? Allowing me to straighten myself, he pulled me into a swift hug, brushing my cheek with his lips.

"I'll take care of him," he whispered. "Don't you worry about that. You just make sure that brute you're attached to doesn't kill you."

I looked toward Cato, who had such a look of revulsion on his face that it would have been comical had the situation not been so dire. Letting out a bark of laughter, I looked over to Rory.

"Say hi to Gale for me," was all I could manage. I nodded to Thresh, understanding where his anger had come from, and, finally, Cato and I walked away, disappearing into the jungle.

We emerged into the area where we had seen an eerie purple mist rise the day before, the trap already having run its course for the time being, and walked for about 10 minutes uphill before I collapsed against a tree. Cato, sighing in resignation, began to carve a hole into a nearby trunk.

"Don't suppose you remembered to take the spile with you?" he muttered.

"No, Peeta had it," I answered. As I shifted, however, I became aware of a hard object pressing into my leg. Digging into the pocket of my jumpsuit, I pulled out the little silver spile, staring at it in wonder. I shook my head with a rueful smile; even in our last moments together he would never abandon me.

I threw the spile at Cato, making a dull thud when it met the back of his head. Rubbing it and shooting me an evil glare, he shoved it into the tree and slurped up some water. Motioning me to get a drink next, he moved to the side of the tree. As I put my mouth up to the stream, I felt a hand on the back of my head which shoved my nose into the water. Sputtering and snorting, I quickly pulled back, kicking Cato in the shins. As I went for another try, I kept a close eye on his smug face, smiling with some of the pressure lifting off my chest.

We spent the rest of the day following the arena's traps, moving from one area to the next as they died down. When we stopped in the section directly facing the mouth of the Cornucopia, Cato had to physically restrain me from trying to get a glimpse of the rest of the group to see how they were getting along. Before the sun dipped below the horizon of the arena, another large package arrived via silver parachute, containing two backpacks of food and survival gear, including a tent which took up almost one entire backpack. I could almost imagine Haymitch's face in front of me, snarling, "Well, you're on your own now, sweetheart." But with the tent, we would be able to settle down in the blood rain section, the least lethal of all of traps.

Discussing this with Cato, he agreed, and we packed up the bags again, heading back toward that sector. Knowing we could use the force field as a shield and a weapon, we headed uphill, throwing pebbles and sticks in front of us to make sure we didn't accidentally hit it again. When we encountered the force field, the pebble sizzling against it and flying back into Cato's hand, we moved horizontally until the ground became darker in the light of the full moon, the ground sticky but still slick. We set up the tent a good distance in, Cato doing most of the work while I held up a pair of flashlights as I had no clue what was involved in setting up the bundle of rods and tarps. The tent itself had a sturdy roof and was just large enough for two people to fit fairly comfortably. By the time it was fully erected, the rumbling of the ground signaling the wave had begun.

I realized with a start that there hadn't been a Capitol announcement revealing the dead. Even if nobody had died, the anthem would still play, the brightly lit seal of the Capitol unmistakable. Had something happened? Was this a new tactic of the Games to unnerve us? Cato hadn't seemed to notice the irregularity, focusing instead on trying to find something for dinner, mumbling that he should have asked Thresh to show him the edible nuts. When I pointed the lack of nightly announcement out to him, he merely shrugged and suggested that they had probably forgotten. He didn't know these Games like I did, the regularity in which the Capitol functioned. There had been several days in my last Games that nobody had died, but every night there had been the anthem blaring and the seal lighting up the sky.

Snapping his fingers in front of my troubled face, Cato reminded me that while we did have food we probably should find some way to make it last. Pointing out to him that we had already put up the tent and couldn't leave it here unguarded, we resigned ourselves to nibbling on the jerky and crackers in the pack. Realizing that every morning we would have to disassemble the tent and assemble it every night produced a pinch of annoyance toward Haymitch, but there was no way around it.

I wanted to take first watch, certain that the Gamemakers were up to something. Cato's light snores filled the tent almost immediately; I sat at the entrance with the flap folded back, looking out into the jungle. It was quiet; definitely too quiet. Tense hours passed with no thunder or lightning, no blood rain falling on the roof of the tent. This type of inaction could only mean that the Gamemakers were preparing for some sort of grand finale, something that would drive the tributes together in a final bloodbath. I wondered if a feast would be offered or if they would just unleash hoards of mutts at us. With no discernible way to tell time, I let my imagination run away from me, my delusions becoming more and more demented until I was positive they were just going to line the force field with the heads of dead tributes with wolf snouts and slowly shrink the arena, snarling heads crying rivers of blood forcing the remaining tributes closer until we converged at the Cornucopia.

I shrieked when I felt a hand on my shoulder and was immediately tackled to the floor of the tent, hand clamped securely over my mouth.

"What is wrong with you," Cato hissed at me. "First you let me sleep until it's nearly dawn and now you're trying to get every tribute in earshot to come and kill us?"

"Something is wrong," I answered when he finally released me. "None of the arena traps have gone off all night, and there has been no word from the Gamemakers why. I think they're planning something big. We need to be very careful today."

"Fine, fine," he brushed off. "Get some sleep and I'll wake you when the bogyman comes," waggling his fingers by his face for added effect.

Rolling my eyes, I let my exhaustion from the previous day take over, visions of homicidal butterflies and flaming bunnies flitting through my head. Cato shook me awake around noon, telling me that he was hungry and we should go find something to eat. Emerging from the tent, I immediately noticed the change in temperature. Even lastnight, the air had been hot, humid, and stifling. Now, the jungle was balmy and swept by a pleasant wind. The Gamemakers must have something devastating planned for us. Yesterday had been filled with drama, but no kills. As Cato disassembled the tent, I scanned the jungle for signs of mutts, jumping at the smallest sounds and whipping toward them with arrow drawn.

"Will you knock that off!" Cato finally exclaimed after my fifth incident. "You're starting to make me feel antsy and paranoid too."

We managed to kill a chicken-sized bird with blue feathers for lunch, which tasted similar to the groosling from the arena last year cooked over a flame. Because I was so anxious, Cato decided we should just spend the rest of the day practicing with our weapons. He hacked away at a tree with his sword, bark and water droplets flying around him. I aimed for a knot in a tree and missed it every time, one arrow nicking Cato in the thigh when it bounced off a rock. He had the audacity to chop off 3 inches of my braid for that. Staring at the limp braid of black hair on the ground, I snapped.

"What is with these Games and the mutilation of my hair?" I screamed at the sky. "Last year it was the fire and now this idiot? Do you know how long it takes to regrow that much hair? What do you have against hair? Are the rest of you bald? It took my stylists 2 hours of messing around with it every time I was on camera! It's not easy to maintain this!" By the end of my diatribe, I was shouting at the top of my lungs, Cato backing away from me to the extent that the chain would allow.

Winded and my throat sore, I sat down heavily on the ground, head bowed and gasping the shorn end of my braid in the dirt. My musings were brought up short by Cato tackling me to the ground, a spear whizzing past my ear as I went down. I realized with a sinking of my stomach that we were both exposed and weaponless, Cato having dropped his sword when he ran for me and I had abandoned my bow at the start of my rant.

"If you had wanted to die so badly, you might as well have had Finnick kill you at the start," a female voice cooed. "But at least now I finally get to have the pleasure of saying I killed the Girl on Fire and her handsome teammate. How about it, darling," she purred to Cato. "One last go before you're lifted out of the arena?"

The female District 1 tribute stepped out from behind a tree, her arena partner, a young boy, uncertainly following. Cato's expression of anger quickly melted into lust as he took a lingering look at her figure and, picking himself off the ground, strode toward her, pulling me along in the process. Ignoring the loud objections of myself and the other tribute, Cato pushed her into a tree, drawing her into a heated kiss. As she lowered one hand to settle on his hip and used the other to fumble at the zipper of his jumpsuit, he placed his own hands on either side of her face. Drawing back, Cato glanced at her, as if pondering something mysterious, before offering her a small smile and repositioned his grip to tangle his fingers tightly in her blonde hair.

Then, as I stared mouth gaping, he twisted his hands, taking her neck with them and, his grin turning cruel, dropped her to the jungle floor. He spat at her corpse, muttering that looks apparently did not correlate to experience. Her partner, who had been huddled on the ground with his eyes squeezed shut, jumped at the sound of her neck breaking and stared aghast at the empty eyes of his former arena mate. He began to go into hysterics, crying about how he hadn't wanted to come and all he wanted was to go home. When I stepped away to reclaim my bow to make his death easier for him, Cato stopped me, saying that he wanted to see if the cuffs still worked.

"The boy's going to die anyways," he shrugged.

"Yes but he'll die painfully with the cuff," I argued.

"I'm not sure about that," he challenged. "The cuff should have activated by now. It's never taken this long before. On the beach, it was almost instantaneous."

Pausing to consider his words, I realized that he had a valid point. We settled down with the small boy, giving him some of our water, but never getting close enough to touch him in case the Gamemakers were only temporarily distracted. Hours passed with only the sound pitiful sniffling, in which I had time to reflect and begin feeling embarrassment for my meltdown. I really was losing it: first breaking up the alliance probably at the time when we would need it the most to help protect each other from the strongest remaining tributes and now shouting at the sky about, of all things, my hair.

_Pull yourself together, Katniss. Remember Prim is watching you break apart._

Straightening, an idea crept upon me and I peeked at Cato, wondering if he might be receptive to it. Not deciding to ask, I gave the chain a harsh tug, prompting a beep. Cato turned to me with wondering eyes, but they widened after the second beep when he realized what I was trying to do.

"Don't, they're pro-" was all he gasped out before the third beep issued.

After we picked ourselves off the floor a few minutes later, still twitching slightly, he grabbed me by the elbow and steered me toward his sword. Thinking that he was just going to kill me as he knew the cuffs weren't being monitored, I began to struggle against his pull. He picked up his sword and grabbed me by the shortened braid, simply lopping off another few inches with a triumphant grin. Stunned that I was not a bloody mess, I gaped at him for a bit before what he had done registered. Because I had been responsible for the shock we received earlier, I decided to let it go but threw another punch at his arm for old times' sake.

"You guys are weird," the boy muttered to us. Forgetting he was there, I turned back to him.

"We can't just leave him here attached to a dead Victor," I muttered to Cato quietly. "Think the cuffs will come off again if we throw her against the force field? It'll hurt but at least he won't have to walk around dragging a corpse."

"I have a better idea," Cato stated confidently, striding forward. I stopped him though.

"You're not going to just kill him are you?" I hissed anxiously.

"He's going to die anyways," he shrugged. "But I'd rather him be easy bait for the Gamemakers. Maybe it could help warn us of what's coming."

He approached the boy, and raised his sword. I saw the fear in the kid's eyes as he cringed, waiting for the deathblow. Instead, Cato hacked through the wrist of the dead tribute, and pulled the hand free. He handed the bloodied cuff to the traumatized boy, telling him to be on his guard. Cato yanked the spear from the tree it was embedded in and threw it at his feet. As the boy turned to leave, looking so lost and desolate, I had to stop him.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. "Go to the beach, the Cornucopia. There will probably be four guys there. They are- they were my friends. Tell them that I sent you- that Katniss sent you- and asked them to watch out for you."

Shooting me a suspicious glare, he disappeared into the jungle. I hoped he would seek out Peeta and the others, but he was right to be wary. He, no doubt, saw our alliance form at the training center, and the fact that I was now sending him toward some of the most prolific killers in the arena left probably would have made me head the opposite way had I been in his position.

The daylight was fading by then, and we needed to hunt if we were to eat something cooked before nightfall. By the time we had tracked down a small pig-like creature, it was almost dark. Deciding that the risk of a fire was lower than that of getting poisoned from raw meat, we roasted it, the glow from the fire illuminating the treetops. Knowing that we were clearly advertising our position, I kept a guard while Cato turned the pig. After we had eaten, wrapping the leftover parts of pig in the broad leaves, we headed back toward the blood rain section of the arena. I was still suspicious that the Gamemakers were trying to lull us into a false sense of security to catch us off guard, and caught myself several times with my fingernails between my teeth, tasting of soil and pig grease.

Another uneventful night passed with no signs of an announcement in the sky or the traps. Cato and I wandered the jungle during the day, with no signs of other tributes. At night we returned to the blood rain section to set up camp. Two days passed in this manner, with nothing more eventful happening than Cato managing to set up the tent inside out. I had resigned myself to whatever the Gamemakers had planned for us, and instead decided to explore the arena. We caught glimpses of large, spotted jungle cats in one section, monkeys in another. Head-sized but brightly shimmering mosquitoes flittered past us harmlessly in one section, the air so choked with them that I constantly had to brush them gently aside, Cato electing to slash at them with his sword until he tired himself out. I had no doubt that the Capitol could easily turn these creatures deadly with the flip of a switch, but for now I could enjoy them.

The morning after the third day, we were awoken by a loud trumpeting, different from the usual anthem.

'Finally', I thought, rushing out of the tent. Maybe we'd finally get some answers.

Plutarch Heavensbee's face appeared in the sky, smiling rather sedately:

"Good morning, tributes! I know you all must be wondering why the Games have been halted in such an abrupt manner. I'm afraid I have incredibly grievous news: President Snow, our venerable leader and a devoted family man, succumbed to his poor health a few days after the Games began. Documentaries and memorials in his honor have been the sole coverage on TV for almost the entire past week.

"I am, however, pleased and honored to introduce to you, our new President, Alma Coin, the late President Snow's second-in-command!"

A woman then took over the screen, her face weathered and surrounded by a curtain of immaculately trimmed grey hair. Her voice, authoritative and unwavering, rang out throughout the arena.

"Thank you Gamesmaker Heavensbee. Hello tributes. As previously mentioned, I am President Coin, acting President until a permanent leader can be elected. President Snow, Coriolanus to his friends, was extremely fond of these Games, fonder of its Victors, and extremely hopeful for each new batch of yearly tributes." She paused dramatically, dabbing at her dry, steely eyes with a white handkerchief. This woman seemed simply incapable of producing tears, or most emotions for that matter.

"In honor of his memory, I am officially pardoning the surviving tributes of the 75th Hunger Games and declaring everyone left to be Victors! Please proceed to the Cornucopia where you will be lifted out of the arena and taken to be prepped for President Snow's funeral this evening. I will be meeting with the Victors of the 75th Games personally tomorrow, and look forward to getting to know each of you better." She flashed us a wolfish smile, and the sky quieted.

I stared at Cato, speechless. I was going home. _Hang on Prim, I'm coming._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thanks everyone for the awesome reviews/story alerts/favorites! I'm loving them all! This story will be wrapping up soonish, although I do plan on offering alternate endings. I'm a fan of choice, so you might have the opportunity to see the story end the way that you want it if my original ending doesn't do it for you ;). Suggestions will be considered!

Thanks to gopher101 for pointing out an error I had made in matchups!


	12. Chapter 12: CatoKatniss

**Cato POV**

The outrage and abandonment that I experienced when my parents condemned me to the academy was nothing compared to what I felt to that announcement. In a few seconds, my victory, my glory, had been stripped from me; handed back to me gift wrapped in pity and shame. I was sullen and withdrawn on the walk back to the Cornucopia, already feeling the disdain that the people my District projected.

The closer we got to the beach, the tenser Katniss' frame became walking next to me. I knew that she didn't enjoy leaving our alliance the way that she had, but it was necessary, if not a bit messy and premature. As we rounded the corner to the mouth of the Cornucopia, she was immediately pulled into a hug by Peeta. While they had their awkward reunion, I looked around at the tributes that were assembled there. Thresh looked happier than I had ever seen him reclined against the interior wall of the Cornucopia, a smile playing on his lips and a hand resting on bent knee, as Rory paced as far as the chain would allow him, a bright grin splashed on his face. Finnick, however, seemed to understand how I was feeling. He had a resigned yet relieved expression on his face, shaking my hand as I approached him.

"You guys do ok?" he asked, grinning slightly.

"Fine," was my clipped answer. "Never want to eat another rat in my life," I added, catching him rolling his eyes at my attitude.

"Look man," he muttered. "I know you wanted to win outright, but your district won't see it as you being handed a victory. They've seen what you've done and what you're capable of. You couldn't control Snow's death, and while I'm not particularly thrilled about it, we get to go home. I can see Annie again, and I'm sure there are people in 2 you're looking forward to getting back to."

Snorting, I turned away from him, staring out into the jungle that had been home for the last week. His words held merit, but it still would not be the same as if I arrived home the sole Victor, or, the best case scenario in these Games, co-Victor. At least Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, and Thresh had mentionable skills that I could console myself with. The boy we encountered in the jungle had almost pissed himself when I approached him with my sword. I noticed then that he was not with the group right now. In fact, no other tributes than what was left of our alliance had come as ordered. I wondered if they were all dead; we had no nightly announcements since the second night.

Bored, I set down my backpack, and started sorting through the food. Might as well eat it now before it goes to waste. Noticing what I was doing, Finnick sat down next to me.

"We went through that food pretty quickly," he admitted, eyeing the dried fruit enviously. "From the beach, you could see where every silver parachute landed with a pair of packs. Looks like everyone got them. Must have been from the Capitol."

I passed him the bag, eyeing a pair of tributes that were edging slowly out of the forest. They were the same ones that Finnick had let go, the ones that had ultimately been responsible for Brutus' and Rue's deaths. Realizing I wasn't paying attention to him rant about fruit, he looked up, his face thunderous when he saw who was coming up the beach.

"Hey, Finn," the girl greeted, nervous at his unexpected expression. "Looks like we'll all make it out of here in somewhat the same shape we came in, huh?"

"Do me a favor, Johanna," he snapped. "Don't talk to me for a while."

"What's your problem, Odair?" she shot at him. Receiving no answer, she turned and stalked away, dragging her partner with her.

A little while later, two more aging Victors emerged from the jungle, enthusiastically greeting Finnick and exchanged barbs with Johanna. Shortly after their arrival, a hovercraft appeared overhead, a ladder quickly descending. An entire squadron of Peacekeepers descended, their guns pointed at the ground but kept at the ready as they assembled a perimeter around the Cornucopia. Alarmed, I rose to my feet, suspecting some sort of treachery on the part of Coin's new government.

"Relax, District 2 tribute," barked a tall Peacekeeper, the last to descend from the hovercraft, as he swaggered his way toward me. "We're just here to escort you to your prep teams, and to make sure that you all arrive safely. We are also here to retrieve the bodies of the District 8 tribute and the female Victor from District 1."

"When was the boy killed?" Katniss questioned, skeptical.

"We received notification that his arena partner was killed a few days ago," the lead Peacekeeper explained. "But the Gamemakers had abandoned monitoring the arena except for life support systems, so technically he died 3 days ago. We're just here to finish the job."

"Wait so he could still be alive?" Katniss shouted, confusion and outrage clear on her face. "You're going hunting for him? He can't be more than 13!"

"District 12 Victor, I suggest that you control yourself before you face consequences for your actions," the Peacekeeper warned. "The rules of the Games were clearly stated at the beginning of your training, and President Coin made the final decision herself."

He then turned to a small squad of 4 men assembled behind him, two of them carrying folded, black body bags under their arms.

"I'm not going to just-" Katniss ranted walking toward him, until, seeing the danger she was putting us all in, I once against clamped her mouth shut and pulled her back tightly against my chest.

"Shut up unless you want to get us all killed," I hissed into her ear. As she continued to struggle against me, I grew concerned about the amount of attention we were gathering from the tense, gun wielding guards, and shifted my hold on her. Releasing her mouth, I squeezed her neck into the crook of my elbow in a chokehold, until I felt her go limp against me a few seconds later. Sighing in relief and annoyance, I dropped her onto the sand, rearranging the tilt of her head when she landed awkwardly.

Guard lowered, I did not expect the heavy punch that landed on the back of my head or the one that followed to my ear. Stunned, I turned toward my attacker, arms raised to defend. What I found was Peeta, yelling furiously, being restrained by Finnick, whispering angrily into his ear.

"Tributes, desist!" snarled the head Peacekeeper. "Separate immediately and put 10 feet between you and the next pair of tributes; keep within our line of sight."

Finnick dragged a still struggling Peeta backwards, where they engaged in an impromptu wrestling match when they fell backwards. As entertaining as that was, my attention was drawn back to the jungle when rapid gunshots rang out; looked like they had found the boy. Glancing down at Katniss, I was glad she was not conscious to see this; she seemed absurdly attached to him and I had not looked forward to the tantrum she would have thrown.

As soon as the four Peacekeepers returned, each pair carrying a body bag between them, their leader ordered each of us to ascend into the hovercraft in pairs, Katniss and I last. Since she was still unconscious, I tossed her body over my shoulder, and the ladder drew us up.

Our mentors were there to greet us, Haymitch glaring at me from where he sat with Peeta and Finnick. I felt Katniss stir from her uncomfortable perch on me, and dropped her down onto a row of seats next to them. Opening her eyes, she first registered Peeta's worried face and then noticed Haymitch. Offering them a tight smile, her eyes landed on me, looming over her.

"Did they get him?" she asked quietly, sitting up. At my nod, her face fell. "I guess I just assumed when Coin had said surviving tributes…"

"Well, sweetheart, remember he was living on borrowed time anyways," Haymitch grunted. "The rules are the rules."

Something about what he said must have struck Katniss as odd, because she flashed him a concerned look, and he gave her the faintest of head shakes.

"Where's Prim?" Katniss inquired eagerly.

"She was transferred back to District 12 after Snow was hospitalized," he answered sharply. The look he sent her afterward was enough to silence her, a warning that I even recognized that too many ears were present and that further answers would have to wait.

I turned to my mentor, who had come up and sat with us. He clapped me on the back and shook my hand, grinning broadly.

"How is home taking all this?" I asked quietly.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, baffled. "They're ecstatic! I got a call from your sister just about every few hours for the last several days since they cut off coverage of the Games about an hour in when Snow was hospitalized."

"Wait, so they didn't show anything else at all?" I questioned, incredulous.

"Nothing as far as video went," he answered, shaking his head. "We got to see you behead Enobaria though. Shame, she was…talented." His lascivious grin made me roll my eyes, but I was glad he wasn't too torn up about her death. Laughing, he went on to tell me about how mentors could monitor their tributes remotely through information their cuffs provided. He asked me how Brutus died, and I repeated their encounter with the electrified water. Looking over at Beetee, I could see new respect for the aging Victor in my mentor's eyes, but also resentment. I knew he and Brutus had been on friendly terms before the Games. A quiet voice interrupted our conversation.

"So, nothing other than the first hour of the bloodbath was broadcast," Katniss intoned flatly. "None of the other tributes deaths were shown. Thirty-eight people killed in Games that weren't even watched, completely unnecessarily; Cecelia and Justine, Brutus and Rue…" Her voice cracked and tears began running down her cheeks as she stared blankly at the opposite wall of the hovercraft.

"The Games will still be broadcast," Haymitch interrupted. "They're planning to air it 2 days from now, after the funeral, and running through the entire 3 days that the Games were played out before the arena was essentially shut down." Turning to Katniss with remorse, he added that it was required viewing and that Coin planned on keeping us in the Capitol until the Games were aired and interviews conducted.

That was fine with me; I would be able to see how well they portrayed me in the arena. I sincerely hoped they didn't emphasize my time with my annoying, emotional arena partner.

* * *

><p><strong>Katniss POV<strong>

Thirty-eight completely unnecessary deaths. Why had the Games not been halted the minute that they stopped being televised? And now they're going to make us watch it, relive each moment again. I would be forced to witness how Justine finally met her demise, once again feeling the guilt and regret of discarding her life for a cause which I ultimately abandoned myself. I would have to watch Rue, possibly playing happily in the surf of the beach, suddenly tense and jerk sporadically as the life from her body was electrified, screaming, out of her and Brutus.

We had all been through that, and now, immediately after, would get the chance to experience it again. This Coin sounded as much a sadist as Snow was. I stared blankly down at the cuff and chain, distantly wondering if it was Coin's plan to keep us together permanently.

The hovercraft touched down on the roof of the Training Center, and Cato and I met with Cinna and my normal prep team who worked to clean us up from the arena. A Peacekeeper met us at the doorway of the room we had occupied before the Games began and informed us that our cuffs would be temporarily removed while we underwent makeovers. They would be reapplied when we left the room for dinner.

Reveling in being alone from Cato for the first time in a week and half, I allowed myself to be escorted into the bathroom for a full scrub from the prep team. They exclaimed over the filth I was covered in, Flavius' piercing scream echoing in the large shower when he discovered bits of dried blood stuck in my hair and ears. Venia had to shout back to Cato that everything was fine when he inquired about the shriek. When I was finally deemed clean, they allowed me to dry off and slipped a bathrobe over me, leading me back out into the bedroom. Passing Cato, I gave him a small smile, which he returned quickly as he entered the still steaming bathroom. We had kept each other alive in the arena; while he may have had the physical edge on me, he surely would not have eaten as well without my bow.

Snow's funeral felt like a farce to me. Hundreds of Capitol mourners filled the auditorium, wailing and lamenting how his judicial leadership of this fragmented country had been rendered short. Many stated that they saw him days before, healthy as a horse with many future plans for himself and Panem. This struck me as odd. I knew that Snow was old, but every time I had direct contact with him, he always projected an aura of intimidation and cunning, nothing I would associate with an ailing man on Death's doorstep. The speeches droned on and on, each black dressed Capitol citizen weeping from artificially colored eyes and sporting newly dyed, somber hair. I kept my head down lest someone see my less than mournful expression as the cameras broadcasting this throughout the country swept the audience periodically for reactions. Cato sat fidgeting next to me, clearly as bored as I was.

Coin approaching the podium, however, drew my attention. She went through the usual motions of complimenting Snow's shrewdness and his leadership qualities, speaking of their friendship through their years of advanced schooling and progress through the political system of the Capitol. She commended his steadfast nature and his unwavering ability to do the right thing to preserve the integrity of the country at all costs.

She then turned her attention to the Games, running through the list of Games that Snow had participated in while he had been President. She had us as survivors of the 75th Games stand, to which we received raucous applause and cheers unbefitting to the occasion.

"I look forward to meeting with each of the Victors over the next few days." Coin's eyes met mine, and she her mouth twisted ominously. Something did not feel right about our new interim President, and I was glad to feel the steady strength of Cato on my right and Peeta to my left as we sat again.

"We will be taking Coriolanus with us on the Victory Tour, which has been pushed up to 2 days after the final interviews are conducted. I will travel with the Victors and President Snow, where each District will be able to hold their own mourning ceremony for the day. We will also be making a stop near District 13, an area which Coriolanus always had a special fascination for. We will then conclude the Tour back at the Capitol for his burial with the other officials, which we invite the citizens of the Capitol back to. I thank you all for being here to celebrate President Coriolanus Snow's life, and hope to see you back here in a few weeks' time."

The memorial service had concluded, and we were escorted back to the Training Center by Peacekeepers. I spent the night against Cato's chest, waking both of us several times with my nightmares, fresh from the arena. Early the next morning, a Peacekeeper knocked on our door, stating that President Coin had requested my presence for a private breakfast. Exchanging a questioning look with Cato, I allowed my cuff to be removed and was led down the hall to a private room flanked by Peacekeepers.

They opened the door, Coin sitting at a small, square table lined with food. Waving me to take a seat beside her, she told me to help myself.

"So Katniss," she began after I loaded my plate with eggs and potatoes. "I heard that you and President Snow had a very candid relationship."

At my tense nod, she continued, "Then I hope we can maintain that openness and honesty."

Her gaze as I continued to shovel food into my mouth was unnerving, and I quickly lost my appetite. Seeing that I was done, she waved forward Avoxes who quickly cleared the table and bowed out of the room, leaving me alone with our new President. Resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands together, she rested her chin on top of her interlocking fingers, surveying me as if looking for a weakness to exploit. If she was as close to Snow as she stated, surely she already knew all of them.

"This is only for your ears Miss Everdeen," Coin started, speaking slowly and deliberately. "I require your promise that you will not repeat a word that is said here today to anyone, not Mr. Mellark nor your arena partner, until the time is right."

"How will I know when that is?" I asked, confused and on edge.

"I think you're smart enough to figure that out for yourself," Coin smiled, cold as a winter's day. "Remember, total honesty between us, Katniss. The Capitol knows me as the long-time friend and advisor to President Snow. What nobody but a few handful know is that I am actually a mole for District 13, where I was born, raised, and educated up until I turned 18."

At my incredulous expression, she explained that District 13 had only been demolished on the surface, and, as part of a treaty with Panem, continued to thrive undisturbed underground. A rebellion had been in the works for several years now, but it was my refusal to obey the Capitol's ever changing rules last year that had put the spark to it.

"District 13 had been looking for a way to overthrow Snow, and we had found our entrance, or so we thought," she continued, looking away from me finally. "The districts were rebelling, led by other planted moles, and everything was set in place, until you renounced your support for the rebellion and declared your loyalty to the Capitol in your tribute interview."

She raised her hand to silence me when I opened my mouth to object, stating that she understood about my sister.

"But then we had a bigger problem on our hands. Namely, we had lost our symbol- you. You were our rallying point, but you had abandoned us. Luckily, I was able to convince Coriolanus to make the announcement about taking in your little sister, Primrose, to increase his popularity within the Districts, which had been rapidly sinking in the face of an uprising. He thought it would improve his image with the Districts, giving him a merciful appeal; I saw it as an opportunity to give you an excuse for why you acted the way you did during your interview. So once again, you looked like the victim. The first day of the Games, I poisoned Snow's breakfast. As he watched the Games unfold in the first hour, the chemicals mimicked a heart attack, thought by the public to be brought on by the excitement of the bloodshed of the Games.

"He was hospitalized, but even I did not anticipate how long it would take the poison to take effect. I got the idea to poison him from his own past actions. He would often slip it into his political rivals drink, and even some allies that had the potential to turn into rivals. But he would also put it into his own to mask suspicion. He would recover in a few days, sick and weakened from its effects, but his opponent would die. The number of poisons he purposefully ingested eventually granted him immunity to most types of poisons, but also weakened him physically. I'm sure you noticed the stench of blood that accompanied him everywhere he went. It took 3 days for doctors to finally administer enough poisons to kill him. Eventually, it was experimentation on their part that made it work."

I interrupted her at this point, finding it all a little hard to believe.

"Just how many people did you have working for you against Snow?" I asked incredulously. "It sounds like the entire Capitol staff was in on this plot."

"Not exactly," Coin replied carefully. "Working as high up as I have, you gain a lot of political friends as well as foes. When rumblings of rebellion began years ago, I started gathering people into my trust who were unhappy with Snow's leadership, introducing them to officials from District 13. By the time of Snow's death, everything had been carefully coordinated to only include members of the rebellion, from the guard that morning, to the ambulance that drove Snow to the hospital, to the nurses and doctors who treated him. Or, I guess I should say, assisted in his death."

"So," I said, slowly piecing things together. "District 13 had Snow assassinated."

"Correct," she replied swiftly.

"How did you become Snow's second in command if you were planning his death the entire time?" I asked, still confused.

Her eyes took a clouded look at my question, pain flashing faintly across her face.

"He knew I was from District 13, but he thought that I had purposely escaped it and despised the people there. Before he took me completely into his confidence, he had my parents kidnapped via spies he had in 13 and brought back to the Capitol. He told me that he had an important job for me; one that was a matter of national security and of the highest classification. He led me down to the dungeons under the city where we keep the traitors and suspected spies, and opened a cell to reveal both my parents, strapped to metal tables. He had me torture them for 6 days before they finally died. They were completely innocent of any wrongdoing, being common workers in13 and having been told that I had been killed in a training accident. The look in their eyes when they realized I was still alive, and then when they realized what I had become…" She rose from the table swiftly, walking to the tall window and peering out of them. When she finally spoke again, it was in a gentle, hushed tone that seemed out of place for the hard woman.

"So you see Katniss, some of us have sacrificed more than others to see that the country moves forward after Snow's death instead of continuing statically. I am determined to see this through, and I am not above threatening you or those that affect you to gain your cooperation, do I make myself clear?"

"What do you want from me?" I asked, suspicious.

"You are in a unique position right now," Coin replied, turning to me and leaning against the window frame, arms crossed. "You have the love of the rebellious districts for what you did last year, and you have the love of the Capitol and its loyal districts for your concocted love story as well as your declaration of loyalty this year. I want you to throw your support behind me, and the new government that we are planning."

"And if I don't?" even though I already knew the answer.

"Then I think your little sister, Prim, would be very unhappy."

Snorting, I looked away before I realized I had another question.

"Why did you stop the Games if you knew that you were going to air them later? Wouldn't it have made more sense to have it play out? You clearly care nothing for the tributes since you had that little boy from 8 killed after you told us we were safe."

"Well, Katniss, I thought the answer would have been obvious," she said, raising her eyebrows. "I couldn't risk anything happening to you."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I think the rest of the story will be mostly in Katniss's perspective. Hopefully this explained some of what happened in the previous chapter, which I get the feeling most weren't too happy with. I wasn't just trying to cop out of killing everyone :D. Thanks for everyone that's reviewed so far and I hope to get some feedback about this chapter as well!

Also, if anyone likes zombies, I am writing a new zombie HG story. Feel free to take a look!


	13. Chapter 13: KatnissCatoKatniss

**Katniss POV**

"What exactly are you planning?" I asked dubious. This woman acted exactly as Snow did, threatening my family for the sake of her own agenda.

"I plan to unite all the districts, allow free flow between them, and expand on them," she replied simply.

"How will you prevent people from simply leaving the poorer districts for the richer ones?" I scoffed. If I had the chance to leave the Seam, I sure as hell would have.

"The same reason that you would return to District 12 today rather than move on to another: family and fear of the new," was her explanation. "Change is a scary thing for most people, Katniss. It's why the implementation of the new government will have to go through stages. I would like for you to be a part of that."

"And why is it so imperative that I can't tell Peeta or Cato?" I reminded her.

"It's not," she shrugged, smiling lightly. "I was just hoping to underline the gravity of the situation. In reality, I would prefer that you told one of them. You will need a friend, I predict. Publicity can be very tiring, especially since the general public can never see who you really are…"

"Haymitch?" I suggested weakly. I would rather not drag Peeta through another stunt like the one from last year. He had been hurt by that enough, and I think it was time to make my feelings for him perfectly clear, now that Snow's threats had been replaced by Coin's.

"That drunk would not be good for this country's image, you know that," Coin waved my suggestion off like the ridiculous idea that it was. Haymitch was already known throughout the Capitol as the man who dove head first off the stage 2 years ago at Prim's reaping.

That left me with one option: Cato. He had already proven reliable enough in the arena, saving my life several times. He told me that he had nothing to go home to really, except for the glory that came from becoming a Victor in the Games. Now that he had that, would he still want to stick by me? I, myself, would much rather go home and live a quiet life with Prim, never having anything to do with the Capitol again.

"What if Cato refuses?" I asked quietly.

"Cato?" Coin seemed legitimately shocked. "I would have for sure thought you would have chosen Peeta."

"Peeta can go home and continue his life," I stated. "If I do this, you will leave him and Haymitch alone- and the people in the districts will be unharmed, yes?"

"There is nothing to be gained by killing innocent civilians," Coin stated simply.

"The child was a casualty of the Games, his death was necessary" she added, when she saw my face. "The reason we staged this coup instead of all out war was just for that- our population is minuscule compared to what these lands used to hold and are capable of holding. The Games don't do much either, killing off 23 kids every year."

"So you plan on stopping the Games?" I asked, incredulous. "How will you explain that to the Capitol?"

"Oh the Games will continue, just not in the same format," she replied. "It will be on a strictly volunteer basis with the same monetary rewards and none of the deaths."

She looked at her watch and rose.

"The Games will be airing in a couple of hours, Katniss," She stated. "Maybe you'll want to return to your partner, and make sure that he's in this with you."

Nodding, I rose and was surprised when she held out her hand. Looking up at her uncertainly, she said, "We're partners now Katniss. You support me and I'll see to it that this country continues on a better path than the one Snow was leading us down."

I took her hand but paused. "I want Prim with me. She shouldn't be alone."

"Done," Coin agreed. "You can keep her with you when we get to District 12 on the Victory Tour. I trust that's agreeable with you?

I nodded, released her hand, and walked out the door to find Cato.

**Cato POV**

Finding myself without a breakfast partner, I was resigned to a boring meal. I was surprised, however, to find my mentor sitting at the table alone. He grinned at me when I pulled out a chair, sitting across from him.

"Cato," he began hesitantly. "I think there's something we should discuss now that you're a Victor."

He picked up a roll, and slowly tore it apart on his plate.

"Is this a guessing game?" I intoned, after he didn't say anything for several minutes.

"Cato, under President Snow's rule, Victors were sold to the highest bidder at the Capitol," he sighed. "I'm not sure what President Coin's plans are for you, but I just wanted you to be prepared for it."

He got up and strode out the door, wiping his hands free of oil from the roll on a cloth napkin, handing it to an Avox on his way out. I sat for a while, thinking about what he said. Would it really be that bad? It's not like I had a girlfriend waiting for me back home. Shrugging, I loaded my plate with sausages and eggs.

After I ate, I returned to the viewing area of our floor, knowing that they would start the Games' airing soon. Wondering why Katniss was not back yet, I collapsed onto the plush sofa with a sigh. What _was_ I going home to? My sister, for sure, but I had nobody else. Every single one of my acquaintances were from the academy, none of which I would call a friend since we had grown up with the knowledge we might end up killing each other anyways. My parents were a lost cause, although I was sure that they would be more than willing to welcome me back with open arms into the family again. Just the thought of them made me roll my eyes.

The interviews were shown again on the television, and I rewatched each of our performances, from my cocky self-assurance to Katniss' wide-eyed, panicked speech about loyalty. We were an unusual pair, but we did manage to stick out of the crowd. As Peeta and Finnick were getting their turn in the spotlight, Katniss stormed into the room, slamming the door shut and glanced around to make sure we were alone.

"Cato," she began, nervous. "You once said that I could earn your complete trust if you knew that I was in it for the win. You know that I am now. Do you trust me?"

"Wait, what?" I asked, confused.

"_Do you trust me?_" she repeated voice raised, stalking toward me and grabbing my wrists. "I need an answer, and I need a completely honest one right now."

I looked down at her, and I saw finally why they called her the Girl on Fire. Her eyes burned with a strange desire that I could not identify, and her hands on my skin felt red hot. I lost control of myself in that instant, and I bent my head down and captured her lips in mine.

Immediately, I felt myself be pushed back and I rapidly withdrew, stunned at my own actions.

"What is wrong with you?" she hissed, backing away from me quickly.

A Peacekeeper knocked on the door then entered the room, stating that he was there to reattach Katniss' cuff. As I saw panic enter her eyes, I quickly yelled out the only thing I was thinking.

"I trust you, Katniss. I trust you more than anyone else. You're the closest thing to a friend I have, that I've ever had."

She froze, and the confused Peacekeeper took that opportunity to swiftly lock the cuff onto her wrist. He quickly walked back out the door, closing it quietly.

She stared at me, confusion and anger still visible on her face. Sighing, I ran a hand down my face.

"Look I'm sorry Katniss," I mumbled. "I have no clue why I did that, and I promise that it won't happen again."

"Well make sure it doesn't!" she snapped back at me. She stomped to the couches, I followed meekly behind, and we watched the last few interviews in tense silence.

"Coin wants me to work for her," she stated suddenly. "I have to go around promoting her new government plan, and all that."

Seeing my questioning look, she continued, "I want you to come with me."

"What, why?" I asked, astonished that she would have wanted me of all people. "Why not take your sister or Peeta. You're closer to them than me."

"Because I want Prim and Peeta to be free of the influences of the Capitol," she sighed. "They've lived under the control of Snow for so long, they almost don't know how to live without it."

"So why me?" I pondered.

"Because I trust you," she answered simply. She turned and looked at me for the first time since we had sat down. "Because I trust you to have my back like you did in the arena; to keep me focused; to remind me exactly why I am allowing Coin to use me the way I am."

"Which is…" I prompted.

"Always, for Prim," she stated. "I asked to keep her with me while I was messenger girl for Coin, and she agreed. She is also planning on uniting Panem by the sound of it. Also, District 13 is still alive."

Wait, what?

"You want to say that again?" I inquired.

"What don't you understand?" she shot impatiently. "You'll see during the Victory Tour when we stop by. Coin's probably staging a huge appearance by the District 13 moles."

"Moles?" I asked confused.

"They live underground," was the reply.

"Oh."

We watched Plutarch discuss how Capitol people were affected by the death of Snow and the delay in the broadcast of this year's Games. Thoughts of what she had revealed to me rolled through my head quickly, confusingly.

"So, what do you say?" Katniss finally asked.

"Well it's not like I have a riveting life at District 2 to return to," I mumbled. "What do I have to do?"

"Just stand there and look pretty, I guess," she shrugged.

We turned back to the TV long enough to hear Plutarch announce that the Games would begin airing at 10 am the following morning.

"Why did you kiss me?" Katniss whispered, almost imperceptibly.

Rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly, I admitted, "Well it _has_ been a while since I've…you know…"

That quip earned me the hardest punch she'd ever given me.

**Katniss POV**

That night as I lay in bed, separate from Cato, I turned in my mind the kisses I had received since last year. Peeta's that had been faked but essential to our survival; Gale's which had been born from desperation and jealousy; and now Cato's, which had apparently come from a teenage boy kept away from willing girls for too long. I had seen the look of hunger and passion in his eyes, however, before it had happened, and my mind lingered on it the longest. I smiled and buried my face in my pillow. Then the memory of my catatonic mother came to mind, her eyes wide but unseeing, sitting in a darkened room while my sister, weak from hunger and thirst, brushed out the knots in her hair.

The smile vanished from my face and I vowed to drive any thoughts of marriage and love out of the picture. Prim needed my full attention, and I could not be weakened in that manner. I fell into a fitful sleep a few minutes later.

Peeta, Gale, Cato, and I were on a game show a few months later, Caesar Flickerman hosting. The Capitol would choose who my new husband would be, and the audience would vote by cheering. Caesar introduced the boys, and Gale ultimately lost the first round, the Capitol knowing him only as my cousin. I stood with a bow in my hands, and I felt my arm pull back the string, an arrow at the ready. I released it directly into Gale's forehead, his astonished eyes staring me down. I turned away from him then to smile vacantly at the two blonde boys left.

Caesar then had the audience vote for either of the boys by throwing coal chunks at them. The boy with the most coal at his feet would become my husband. The world blackened as the audience threw their coal, and at the end, the count was even. Caesar then said it was my choice. I could either kill Peeta or I could kill Cato. Smiling manically, I strung my bow again, alternating pointing the arrow at Peeta and then to Cato and back again. Making my decision, I released my arrow, lodging it squarely through Coin's heart, who materialized directly between them. I started laughing, crazed and unable to stop.

I was still laughing when Cato shook me awake, tears streaming down my face.

"God you're seriously messed up, aren't you?" he mumbled, releasing me as soon as he saw that I was awake.

"At least I didn't kill you," I yelled, not realizing why I was so angry all of a sudden.

He snorted. "You sure tried your best." He held up his arm, which was covered in scratches and a red bruise already forming.

Horrified, I scooted back away from him. He stopped me by grabbing my shoulders.

"Stop it Katniss," he stated. "Don't pull away from me. We're going to be partners for a good chunk of the future, and we need to trust each other. You didn't know what you were doing."

Sighing, I led him back to the bathroom so I could wash down his arms and see if anything required medical attention. When I finished, I froze when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, hair wild and face streaked with tear trails.

Grumbling to himself about playing hair stylist with girls, he pushed me down on the chair in front of the vanity, grabbing a wet washcloth to wipe down my face, surprisingly gentle. He then grabbed a brush and worked to tame the nest my hair had become. His motions were familiar, and I was once again reminded of my mother. Horrified, I grabbed the brush from him, throwing it back onto the vanity.

"What now?" He sounded almost bored.

I looked at him, wondering if I trusted him as much as he said he trusted me. I started by telling him of my father's death, and ended up spilling out my life story since. He found out about Peeta and the burnt bread; hunting with Gale to keep from starving; my conflicted feelings and dedication to Peeta for all we had gone through; Haymitch's drinking problem; how much I hated that damned, ugly cat. By the time I was done talking, I found myself in a familiar seated position against the headboard of the bed, back against his chest and his arms around me.

He started chuckling, and said how he thought I really was the most screwed up person he'd ever met. Somehow, that struck me as funny as well, and we ended up laughing uncontrollably. A knock on the door startled us, and an Avox entered with a tray of breakfast. Surprised, I looked toward the window and noticed that it was already early morning. As the Avox left with a slight bow, I flashed Cato a quick grin before bouncing off the bed, re-energized. I had him close his eyes while we showered, still uncomfortable. I realized with dread that I hadn't requested that we get the cuffs off as soon as the Games were finished. I hoped Coin wasn't planning on keeping Cato and I chained for the duration of our campaign for her.

It was almost time for the Games to start when we finished breakfast, and we made our way to the viewing room on our floor, me dragging my feet slightly. Cato noticed I was lagging behind and grabbed my elbow, pulling me forward. I was surprised to find Finnick, Peeta, Rory, and Thresh seated there, waiting for us, Rory and Finnick engaged a heated argument about who had eaten the most fruit jerky in the arena.

"Good morning beauty queens!" Finnick greeted cheerfully when we walked in, me still being hauled forward by Cato.

"Hilarious as always, Finnick," Cato muttered sarcastically.

"Oh lighten up, Cato," Finnick waved. "I'd be chipper as anything if I could wake up to Katniss every morning." He wiggled his eyebrows at me, making me laugh and roll my eyes. I collapsed on the long sofa next to him, Cato sitting on my other side.

I noticed that Peeta was decidedly avoiding making eye contact with me, which was definitely strange. He replied to my greeting stiffly, keeping his eyes focused on the screen.

I leaned to Finnick, asking him what was wrong.

"Coin called him into her office yesterday, right before dinner," he whispered. "He was there for a while. I have no clue what they talked about but he's been quiet since then."

Startled, I reached across Finnick and grabbed Peeta's wrist, demanding his attention. His eyes finally met mine, and I was alarmed at the amount of pain and confusion in them. I wondered if Coin had told him that I chose to take Cato with me instead of him. I needed to explain myself to him. I poked Finnick until he agreed to switch places with me, the chains making it an awkward seating arrangement.

"What did she say to you, Peeta?" I whispered urgently.

His eye twitched, but he responded, turning his face back toward the television. "She told me that you were going on a campaign trip for her so she can be elected President. She said that you had a choice of who you'd like to take with you, and that you chose Cato. She offered me a job here at the Capitol, interning for those that are organizing the unification of the districts and eventually going into politics myself hopefully."

He finally turned his face toward me, smiling sadly.

"I'm going to take it, Katniss," he stated solemnly. "I had hoped that you would warm up to the idea of us during the Games, but you just pushed further away from me. I've loved you since I was 5, and I probably will love you my entire life. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

I teared up at his confession, grabbing both his hands in mine and leaning my forehead against his.

"Peeta, you're one of the greatest people I have ever met," I whispered. "I cannot keep leading you on if I know that we can never have a future together. I can't hold you back from the future that you want. I never deserved you, and I hope you find someone who does here. Please don't hold yourself back pining for me. That's not what I want for you. You deserve someone who can love as wholly and purely as you do. Promise me you'll find that person. Please?"

He pulled back, squeezing my hands and placing a lingering kiss on my forehead. "Friends?" he asked, with a grin, wiping away my tears.

"Always," I answered sincerely, a smile wide on my face.

"Do the rest of us get equally touching goodbyes?" Finnick asked, standing and once again dipping me in his arms.

"You're just lucky I didn't shoot you when I had the chance," I replied, a smile still dancing on my lips. Laughing, he righted me, placing a kiss on both of my cheeks.

"You did him a kindness setting him free," he murmured in my ear. "Well done."

He winked at me and settled back into his seat. I sat down next to Cato, who placed a hand on my shoulder as we turned back to the television.

"Let the 75th Hunger Games begin!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I appreciate all the reviews and support so far! A lot of people asked for more Cato/Katniss so I tried to accommodate! Hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a review!


	14. Chapter 14: PrimKatniss

**Prim POV**

_I should have known better than to ever trust the Coin woman. I should have trusted my instincts, which told me she treated me with the same false courtesy that I had received in Snow's mansion. I had never dreamed that she would be the undoing of the only family I had left._

As soon as Snow had been declared dead, his mansion had been shut down and everyone had been escorted out by armed Peacekeepers. I personally saw Snow's grandchildren pushed into a large vehicle with darkened windows at gunpoint, tires squealing when the car pealed out of the long driveway. Frightened and shaken at how quickly my life was changing, tears streamed down my face as I was shoved into another smaller car, the interior bright. It was in that moment I received my first glimpse of the new interim President Coin. Her smile had a falseness that I often deciphered in the smiles of the new Peacekeepers that had been prevalent in District 12.

"Hello, Primrose," she said, her voice falsely high and condescending. "My name is Alma Coin. I'm sure you've heard of the late President Snow's passing, and I'm sure that you're as saddened by it as I am. I just wanted to reassure you that you're going to be fine, and I'm putting you back on the first train for your home district. Your cousin's mother has agreed to look after you."

Stunned, I could do nothing more than blink at her for a bit, as the car smoothly glided toward the train station.

"What's going to happen with Katniss and Peeta?" I asked slowly.

"Don't worry about them, little girl," Coin waved my concerns off. "They're going to be just fine, and if I can convince them to play on my side, you'll probably see them again in a couple of weeks."

Narrowing my eyes at her, realizing I looked about as threatening as a kitten baring its milk teeth, I asked, "And if she doesn't agree to play on your side?"

"Then I guess you'll have to make yourself comfortable at your cousin's house, dearie," she smiled.

By the time the car pulled up to the train station, my head was reeling and I felt nauseous. Katniss had detested being used as Snow's pawn. I hoped that Peeta would be able to reign in her wild, independent streak as he had done in the past. I also hoped that he would be able to protect her from her bearish arena partner. What I had seen of him on television during the opening ceremonies and interview seemed to suggest that he had been looking forward to killing everyone in the arena, and had not been pleased to be saddled with a partner.

I did not sleep the entire train ride back to 12, afraid of the ghosts that would be there to greet me. My mother's death had traumatized me greatly and the threat of losing my sister caused me to stop eating as well. My stomach was in constant battle with my brain. I was hungry, I knew it, but anything that came near my mouth just made me violently ill. By the time I was safely encased in Hazelle's arms at the District 12 train depot, I probably looked like pale death; I sure felt like it.

Hazelle spent the next several days trying to convince me to eat, slipping a sleeping draught in my water at nights to help me sleep when she found me pacing the living area one night. I rarely left the house, afraid of seeing the house in the Seam we had lived before moving to Victor's Village. By the time that the Games had started airing on television, I had lost a lot of weight and Gale had taken to hovering by my shoulder when he was home. He still pulled the odd shift at the mine when his help was needed, but had finally accepted money from Katniss' winnings last year now that I had come to live with them.

I was torn between the strong desire to see her win and the horror at witnessing the person she had to become in order to come home to me. Her kills mounted daily, and her brutal arena partner could just as easily behead someone as I could slice through Lady's cheese. But I was relieved to see that they were bonding in their own strange way. I could feel how tense Gale was next to me; I couldn't tell if he lost more sleep over Rory or Katniss. I had no desire to see Rory die, but I could not let my anchor leave me. Their alliance in the arena brought heaviness, rather than relief, to my heart; I knew the closer Katniss became to someone, the more it would tear at her to betray them.

Tears rolled down my eyes as we witnessed the alliance breaking and Katniss as said her good-byes to Peeta. Even knowing that they were alive and well, having seen them during the funeral broadcast, it broke my heart that she thought she had to let go of him like that. The broadcast cut out immediately after Cato snapped that girl's neck, going right into the Victors' interviews. They all looked very well, although I noticed that Peeta was not his usual bright, talkative self. I hoped that Katniss had let him down easy; she could be a bit blunt, bordering on harsh, at times. I also noted with a slight smile that Katniss seemed to be very relaxed around Cato; she leaned toward him to laugh and he often times kept his arm around the back of her seat.

I kept a tally of the days it would be until she would visit me. I didn't know how long I would have with her, but I would take very moment I could grasp. They had decided to start with District 1 first and go forward from there, finally ending up in District 13 as part of the final farewell for President Snow. I was glued to the television for over a week, hoping to catch a glimpse of Katniss and the new smile she seemed to have developed for the cameras. I could see often times when the smile cracked, and she would grasp for her partner's wrist. It was times like those that Cato would step in front of her and take center stage, allowing her a moment to breathe. Slowly, almost imperceptible if you didn't watch their every move, I began to see my sister move closer to Cato, sometimes looking up at him and laughing with him; every now and then the laugh wasn't even forced.

The night before the train was due to roll into District 12 with the new President, President Snow's casket, and the new Victors, I was so excited and nervous that I snuck out of bed and went to watch television to see if they would re-air some of the previous day's events. It had been especially dramatic, as Finnick Odair had proposed to his girlfriend, whom he had convinced Coin to allow to accompany him the rest of the trip from District 4. District 11 was hardly an idyllic setting, but he said that he had been inspired by the orchard blossoms they had passed on the way to the town square. I giggled thinking about it.

_Finnick stepped up to the microphone and made his planned speech about the Games and the death of President Snow. He paused, as if considering something, biting his lip and looking over his shoulder at the green-eyed beauty behind him. He took Katniss, standing beside him, by the hand, turning to her solemnly._

"_Katniss, sweetheart, I know that we had a great thing in the arena. You fell madly in love with me, and it was wrong of me to lead you on in such a manner. You see, my heart already belongs to another. Please don't pine for me too long. Such beauty should not be wasted in tears and grief. Find another. The ache in your heart __**will **__slowly fade."_

_He pulled her into a hug, Katniss half heartedly beating against his chest while laughing. He let go of her with a snort, all signs of seriousness gone, and winked to the crowd. He turned back to Annie, love shining plainly in his eyes._

"_Annie, you were always the only one for me. Looking around me, everything reminds me of you, from the flow of the tides to the flowers that decorate the orchards." _

_He stepped toward her, dropping to one knee. "Annie Cresta, will you marry me?"_

_Tears streaming down her cheeks, she fervently nodded her head. FInnick rose smoothly and showered her face with little kisses. They spent the rest of the day tightly wrapped around each other._

I hoped some day to find such burning love, and I wished that Katniss would allow herself to feel it as well. I opened the plant book that Katniss had been working on with Peeta, tracing the intricate drawings in the light of the television. It was a shame that Katniss had not been drawn toward the gentle baker's son, but she needed someone who could protect her from herself; someone that did not remind Katniss every day of the Capitol's manipulations. I had high hopes that Cato, even if they never became romantically involved, would be able to contain my sister and keep her company.

I jumped when I felt a hand land on my shoulder, but Gale's whispered words brought a smile to my face.

"Want to go take a walk? I couldn't sleep either."

Nodding, we slipped out the front door and headed toward the schoolyard. The moon was bright and high enough to offer illumination and the streets were deserted from the late hour. The crumbling building was in sight before Gale finally spoke.

"How do I forgive her, Prim?" he whispered. "She promised me that she would keep an eye out for Rory. She knew that he was picked purely out of spite by Snow, but she played right into his trap anyways."

"You know why," I answered simply. "Reverse your positions, Gale. You would have Katniss strung up a tree with your own snare if you thought it would save your brothers or baby sister." Hell, I probably would have burned down half of District 12 after my mother died if Snow had told me it would ensure Katniss' survival. I understood where Gale's anger stemmed from, but that didn't make it any less selfish. He had plenty of opportunity to teach Rory survival skills, the very skills that helped Katniss win the Hunger Games twice. Instead, he chose to spend that time with my sister in a fruitless attempt to win her heart in a time when he had to have known was impossible for her to open up to someone like that.

We each took a seat on the swing set in the schoolyard, the creaking of the metal chains a lullaby against our troubled thoughts. She had come home from her last Games a changed person; she was jumpy and even more reclusive than she had been. I knew that having a partner helped her in the arena emotionally, but I wondered what kind of person Cato really was. Was he just putting on this public image for the sake of his reputation, but was really a sadist when the cameras were shut off?

I looked to the hill, to the just barely visible Victors' Village. They had rapidly rebuilt our house that had been burned, and the two responsible for the robbery had been executed, or so I had been told. Peacekeepers had pulled me aside one day while I was in Snow's mansion, asking me if I would like to be present for the public shooting. The thieves had apparently been caught trying to sell some of our processions in the markets. I could not believe that anyone could be that dumb; it was too convenient.

Gale and I watched the sunrise together before looking at each other with a slight grin; Katniss was almost in District 12. I knew that he was happy to see her, despite his anger. They had been almost closer than she and I had been, and I knew that she must have been feeling guilty for her actions in the arena.

We walked back to the Hawthorne house, a slight spring in our steps.

**Katniss POV**

I anxiously paced around the bed of our room on the train. We had finally begun our journey toward District 12, and would be pulling into the train depot at first light. I had never been more anxious to catch Prim in my arms, to make sure for myself that she was unhurt. I accidentally bumped into the bed in my pacing, waking Cato, who threw his pillow at me with a groan.

Cato had been forced to sleep with me since our first night on the train. My nightmares had woken up my entire car, and driven poor Annie into hysterics. She had avoided any type of contact with me, even choosing to take her meals in her compartment, for the first two stops. Eventually, Finnick explained to her that I was not possessed, and we had begun a tentative friendship. Finnick's proposal in 11, however, had served to cement our bond, and she still loved to tease me about our "romance" in the arena.

Cato had immediately volunteered for the position of my bed partner, stating that he could hold up better to the abuse than the rest of them, although I could tell that Peeta would have liked to have been there for me as well. I was relieved it wasn't him; he needed to move past me, and spending every night in my bed would not help things.

I admit that having Cato at my side was a great stress reliever. He was much more physical than Peeta, in that he was not afraid to give our chain, which we were forced to wear in public, a tug if he felt like I was going to say something that Coin would not approve of. Being from a richer district that more closely resembled Captiolist attitude, he had a better idea of how their citizens thought and would frequently coach me on public speaking. His training at the academy had included etiquette on how he was expected to represent District 2 as their Victor. He had also held me up, literally, when we arrived at District 11, and I caught a glimpse of Rue's mourning family. While their eyes held no hatred or condemnation, I swore I found disappointment in each of their faces. Several times during the Tour Cato had to help me forward with a hand on my shoulder or even a harsh poke, but I had never felt the weakness I had when confronted with Rue's family. He half led, half dragged me to my seat, and ended up making my part of the speeches for me, excusing me with some false illness.

I noticed several odd looks and quite the number of raised eyebrows when he said that, and realized that our sleeping arrangements must have gotten out to the media. At the time, it was well known that the Star-Crossed Lovers had quarreled and gone their separate ways. It was all the talk of gossip shows and entertainment news for the last week. Now it would seem that I had quickly moved on to my arena partner. I rolled my eyes, hoping that Coin would not see this as a breach of our agreement. While we had a few awkward mornings, Cato being a teenage male after all, nothing had progressed past friendship and we had put the spontaneous kiss behind us. I was certain that if not for the chain, Cato would have slipped away from the group for some personal time; he had received quite a few lascivious looks on our Tour.

Cato watched me pace around the small compartment, a patient, weary look on his face.

"If you don't cut that out soon, we're both going to be dizzy," he intoned flatly. "I suggest you get some sleep before you pass out in front of Prim tomorrow. Remember what happened in District 8?"

Of course I did, and he was a bastard for bringing it up. I was nervous to the point of vomiting the morning of our speech, fearing facing Cecelia's children. Cato had been so pleasant that day, a hand ever present on my wrist or shoulder; now he was making fun of me for it. I swung toward him, readying scathing words in reply, but then I saw his worried eyes. He was the only person on the train who knew how hard the Tour was for me. I had continued to take him in my confidence, and in return, he had revealed to me much about his past.

Sighing, realizing that he was just concerned, I crawled back into bed and into Cato's strong arms. Reminding myself fiercely that we were just friends, I fell asleep.

We were awoken the next morning by Haymitch drunkenly stumbling into our door, yelling that we had to be ready in less than an hour. The prep team filed in at that point, preparing Cato and I for our public appearance in 12. I requested they keep me as natural as possible, not wanting Prim to think I was unrecognizable entirely swathed in Capitol fashion. Cato and I walked out to the breakfast car together, where most of the other Victors and President Coin were already seated. Sipping at hot chocolate and refusing all food offered to me, I anticipated the train slowing and jumped to the window when the fence around District 12 came into view.

Peeta came up behind me and Rory playfully shoved me aside to get a better view. As we pulled into the station, I saw Prim, and sprinted for the exit at the front of the train before anyone could stop me. Rushing out the doors, I gathered Prim into a fierce hug, her tears wetting my shirt front and mine dripping onto her golden hair. I heard yelling around me and looked up to see Rory being gleefully swarmed by his family, Gale picking him up like he was 10 again before pulling him into a bear hug. I looked over at Peeta, picking himself off the ground after being tackled by his older brothers, and shared a wide smile with him.

I heard a quiet voice behind me, and finally released Prim to introduce her to Cato. His giant paw easily engulfed her tiny hand, but he spoke to her gently and with a genuine smile, immediately setting her at ease. Finnick came up next to her, dropping to his knees.

"Oh but had I seen you before I met Annie or Katniss, you would be the only one for me," he declared emphatically, grasping her hand to his chest. "Such beauty should not be hidden, but shared with the entire world!"

"Well it's a good thing that she's coming with us then, isn't it, Finnick," I laughed. They had the attention of the entire depot now, everybody grinning and laughing along with us. I was extremely relieved and felt elated that Prim was unhurt, and that District 12 looked to be in better shape than I had left it. The few buildings I could see had a fresh coat of paint on them, and everybody looked to be better fed than I remembered, following a trend that Peeta and I had noticed in the poorer districts.

I felt Cato's warm hand encase my wrist before cold metal replaced it. Looking up at him chagrinned, I let out a laugh; apparently I had escaped before the Peacekeepers had a chance to recuff us. The day passed quickly with our speeches, Snow's memorial service, and the district-wide feast. When the day ended, Cato helped us move Prim's meager processions into her compartment on the train, her goat, Lady, staying with Hazelle. I got her settled into bed, where she immediately passed out from the excitement of the day. Brushing back her hair, I kissed her forehead and walked out of the compartment, quietly closing the door behind me. I found Cato in the living area of the train, and since we were spending the night in District 12's depot before heading to District 13 in the morning, I asked if he would like a tour of my district. He had offered one to me in District 2, borrowing his sister's car to drive me around, making a personal stop halfway through. It still made me laugh to think of her husband's reaction when Cato had threatened him into sign their divorce papers.

_Cato stalked into the smoky bar, striding up to a skinny man in an expensive looking suit. Grabbing him by his tie, my arena partner slammed his back into the wall, growling threats and insults. _

_Biting back a laugh, I pulled at his arm until he relaxed his grip on the scared man, who looked ready to pee himself if Cato so much as breathed too heavily._

"_Not so tough around someone who can stand a chance against you, huh," Cato purred, his face towering inches above the other man. _

"_Look what do you want?" he asked, a quiver in his voice._

"_Sign these," Cato slammed the papers onto the table nearest to them, "and never speak to my sister ever again. If I hear of you being in the same __**shop**__ as her, I'll make sure that you piss sitting down. Got me?"_

"_You can't do this!" he squeaked. "I have powerful allies in the district and the Capitol!"_

"_And I have the new President behind me," Cato stated, a predatory grin on his face. "I'm sure you've seen what I can do in the arena; and those were with people that I have no feelings for either way." _

_He leaned in closer and whispered almost lovingly, "Just imagine how much fun we could have together."_

_The disheveled man quickly signed his name without even reading the contract, and ran out the bar, his friends filing out quietly behind him._

"_Hope he enjoys being homeless," Cato grinned. I simply snorted as I shook my head. Eventually he would learn to play nice._

"Are we walking?" he asked me, sounding appalled.

"Oh I didn't know that light exercise was so painful for you," I shot back sarcastically. "Would you like to ride on my back?"

I was astonished when he suddenly leapt at me, attempting to cling onto my shoulders. I yelped and quickly swatted him away, taking off toward my old house in the Seam. Laughing, he chased me, catching up easily and jumping onto my back. I immediately fell forward and threw out my hands, anticipating a hard landing, but instead fell onto a hard, warm body on my back. Cato had shifted his body so he landed backward on the grass.

"Geez you're heavier than you look," he grumbled.

Feigning girlish horror, I rolled off him and picked up the nearest rock, throwing it in his direction. He easily caught it and threw it back at me, leaving a red mark on my arm.

"That's for all the punches you gave me," he smirked.

Looking around me, I noticed we had wandered in front of Hazelle's house, and had the entire Hawthorne family as an audience. Giving them a quick wave, I pushed Cato past them into our old house next door. He let out a low whistle as he inspected the small living space.

"Wow, I thought I had seen poverty in my district, but how did you live here?" he asked, incredulous.

"We made do," I said quietly, looking around at the coal dust covered surfaces. "We weren't always well fed, sometimes we even starved, but this was home."

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he muttered. "That was rude. I'm just _astonished_ that people were allowed to live like this."

"Most of the district is like this, Cato," I replied. "It's why I'm so scared to be optimistic about Coin's new plans for the country. I can already tell the people in the districts are being better fed, though. Most of the people I knew before the Games look healthier and the buildings look so much newer than before."

"I've heard Coin speaking of hiring local workers to rebuild each District," he said. "I can't believe how worse off some of the districts are compared to 2, but it looks like change are already being made."

"You know, there were three reasons why I never wanted to be married and have children," I whispered at the dusty floor. "The Hunger Games- I didn't want to watch my kids go through what I had to go through. The starvation- after my father died, we were hungry all the time until I abandoned my childhood to become our provider. Weakness- my mother completely broke down after my father died; I don't want that for myself."

"You are not your mother, Katniss," he said doggedly, striding forward and shaking me lightly. "I've rarely seen any type of weakness in you; usually whatever seeks to bring you down, you use as motivation to kill someone."

He shrugged, releasing my shoulders and putting a finger under my chin until my eyes met his. "Give living a chance Katniss. You've already missed so much just trying to stay alive here. Enjoy whatever freedom comes from being Coin's personal cheerleader.

"Besides," he grinned, drawing himself to his full height, "you have me. I'll show your scrawny butt how to have a good time at the Capitol."

"So you've been staring at my butt, huh?" I asked dryly.

"Well something has to get me through those lonely nights," he replied innocently.

I picked up an old shoe on the ground and flung it at his head, smirking when it connected with a satisfying clunk.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I want to thank everyone who's reviewed the last chapter and the story alerts/faves! Feel free to leave a note if you like/dislike something and a huge thanks to my beta for keeping my imagination in check ;)


	15. Chapter 15: CatoKatniss

**Cato POV**

Katniss asked for a moment to herself in the dilapidated house, so I walked outside and took a deep breath of the relatively fresh air. Everything in this district was covered in coal dust, from the tops of the trees to the cobblestone paths. It seemed that walking was more the norm here than driving, and the lack of automobiles was unnerving. I finally understood why the tributes from the lower districts looked so pathetic and weak.

As I wandered past her house, her cousin stepped out from behind the shadow of a tree. Eyeing him warily, I issued a curt greeting.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Well I thought I was walking, enjoying the night," I replied cautiously. "Would you rather I skipped?"

"I would rather you get out of here, and take your Capitol friends with you," he snarled, stepping toward me with his fists clenched.

The blood thrummed in my ears, and I felt the adrenaline flow through me rapidly. I grinned; this was more like it. I had been playing nice for far too long, and this would prove an excellent opportunity to release some tension.

His first punch caught me just under the chin, snapping my teeth together and making me taste blood. His second landed just under my ribcage. Grunting, I tackled him to the ground, pinning him underneath me. I could feel my years of training already overwhelming him. He was a miner after all, not a trained killer.

I heard shouting behind me, and suddenly little fists rained down weakly on my back.

"Get away from my big brother!" a tiny voice screamed, high pitched and frantic.

Startled, I rolled off of him and onto my feet, still on alert. A little girl, no older than five, stood protectively in front of Gale, her little fists raised and hollering at the top of her lungs. Katniss ran out of the house, eyes wide and fearful. They narrowed when they landed on my bloody mouth and Gale, still sprawled like a cockroach on his back.

She pointed a slender finger at Gale. "You. In. Now," she demanded, pointing at her old house.

Looking around, I realized that the Hawthorne clan had stepped off their porch and had gathered around us, an older woman hovering around the little girl nervously. My eyes found Rory easily, the tallest in the group, and he rolled his eyes and invited me to sit with them while Katniss and Gale worked it out. Hearing shouting coming from their direction, I nodded and took a seat on the front steps, spitting blood into the grass.

"What was that all about?" I asked Rory as he settled down next to me.

"Think Peeta, but Gale didn't get the opportunity of the Hunger Games to try to sway her opinion toward him," he sighed. "He's honestly jealous of you."

"Isn't he her cousin?" I asked, baffled and a little disturbed. Was that normal this far out?

Rolling his eyes, Rory replied, "We're not related to Katniss' family. Long story."

"Was there a single person in 12 that didn't have a thing for her?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Snorting, Rory informed me it was generally just the two of them that he knew of. We sat in silence for a bit until I glanced up at the sky with a gasp. The stars were clearly visible from the relatively rural district.

"In District 2, we only see a few smatterings of stars," I muttered, awed. "I've never seen so many before; it's usually too brightly lit."

"I liked 2," Rory said with a sly grin. "The girls were very…friendly."

Laughing lightly, I punched his arm just as Katniss stormed out of her old house, path aimed directly toward me. Grabbing my arm and muttering a quick goodnight to the Hawthornes, she stomped back toward the train.

"Is the tour already over?" I asked teasingly. "I'm sure I haven't seen most of the district."

"What else did you want to see?" she spun and yelled. "Would you like to see the burned down black market where I traded all the illegal goods I got from the forest? Would you like to see the coal mines that acts as a grave for my father or the house that acts as a grave for my mother? What is it exactly that you would like to see?"

She was becoming increasingly frantic, so I pulled her into my chest, wrapping my arms tightly around her. Katniss often worked herself into a frenzy, and I found that this was the most efficient way to soothe her.

"Breath," I muttered. "Calm down, Katniss. Whatever you guys talked about, it doesn't matter."

"It does matter," she whispered sullenly. "He told me that if Rory had died, it would have been my fault. He said that I had worked up all the districts into a rebellious frenzy, only to back out at the last second. I couldn't tell him about 13, Cato. I can't-"

Shushing her, I slowly led her back to the train, waving aside worried friends and Peacekeepers. When I finally got her in bed, I helped her out of her outerwear and shoes. When I turned to leave the room, she grabbed onto my wrist, pleading me to stay with her eyes. Sighing, I stripped down to my boxers and crawled into bed with her. She immediately curled into my chest, one arm across my torso and her head resting on my shoulder. I could tell it would be a long night for me; it always was when she was this close. She didn't seem to have a concept of personal bed space or the fact that it was difficult for me to have her this physically close to me.

Katniss quickly fell asleep after the excitement of the day, nightmares almost immediately invading her dreams. Keeping a tight grip on her, I wondered if Gale and the other rebels would consider what Coin had planned for the future enough change. I hadn't heard of the rebellion before Katniss had told me of them after the Games, but after finally seeing all of the districts, I was frankly surprised it took them so long. If the new President could keep her position after her election, and greatly equalize the conditions of the districts, it would probably squash any notions of a great rebellion against the Capitol.

We were awoken the next morning by an attendant, who informed us that we would have to spend the next couple of days in 12 while the train was undergoing maintenance and refueling. Exchanging a puzzled glance with Katniss, we sought out Haymitch.

"I need to go for a walk," he grumbled. "Come help an old man through the streets."

"What are you-" I began before being cut off by Katniss' elbow digging into my ribs.

"Let's go, Haymitch," she crooned at him, taking his elbow and leading him out of the car. I followed, baffled, until she set him down under a tree about 100 paces from the train.

"What's going on, Haymitch?" she immediately demanded.

"Nothing big really," he grumbled, removing the familiar silver flask and taking a long drink. "They're just having some problems at District 13 getting personnel together for the staged discovery. They need to make sure everything is perfect so even the Snow supporters won't deny them the right to rejoin Panem. They're using the train as an excuse to go through rehearsals and all that."

"And exactly why is it that we had to come all the way out here for you to tell us that?" I asked impatiently.

"Because, idiot, nobody else on that train besides the three of us and Coin know that District 13 is alive and kicking," he slurred.

Seeing my eyes narrow, Katniss laid a firm hand on my arm.

"Are we required to stay on the train?" she questioned.

"I have no clue, sweetheart," he replied. "Are you so eager to return to your house in Victor's Village? I would have thought you would have avoided that place like the plague."

"Shut up, drunk," she hissed, turning her back to him and stalking away.

"What did you want to accomplish saying that?" I asked the suddenly deflated man. "You know she's sensitive about it."

"I don't have to answer to you," he said, lurching to his feet, using the tree for support.

I immediately slammed his back against the tree. "Yes you do. Now if I hear that you're making her life harder-"

"Boy, you have no clue what you're talking about," he argued, pushing against me. "You think that Coin hasn't taken the opportunity to wire that house full of cameras and microphones to monitor what goes on in there? Katniss is now hers until she sees fit to let her go, to let both of you go. If you want what's best for her, keep her away from that house."

"What about the train?" I demanded.

"Why do you think we're here now?" was the simple reply before Haymitch turned back toward the train.

I turned away from him, trying to locate where Katniss had gone. I wandered aimlessly for a while before literally bumping into Gale, who drove his shoulder into me.

"Look I don't have time for you right now," I snarled. "If you want to settle this, meet me at the train later tonight, and I'll make sure that I saturate the ground with your blood."

"You think I'm afraid of you District 2?" he sneered. "I'd like to see you grow up here, and still maintain that elitist attitude you so love to throw around."

"Yeah well I didn't grow up here did I?" I replied. "If the only reason you hate me is because I was born in a richer district, then grow up and get out of my way. I have bigger issues to deal with."

I pushed past him, heading back toward the train. I figured that Katniss may need some time alone, and she'd have to come back eventually. She reappeared around lunchtime, her hair windswept and tangled with bits of leaves stuck to it. Amused, I pushed her to the bathroom and sent in her prep team as punishment for vanishing without a word to anyone. She emerged an hour later, skin pink but glowing and a glower on her face that was softened by the comical amount of makeup her prep team had forced on her. I fell over in my chair laughing, half heartedly deflecting the punches she threw my way as she straddled my prone body.

Finnick, Annie, and Peeta heard the commotion and came into the dining car to investigate. Finnick let out a guffaw that startled Katniss, and I quickly flipped her underneath me, pinning her hands above her head with one hand.

"Quick, Annie!" I urged breathlessly. "Your camera! She won't look like this ever again!"

Annie quickly ran for her compartment and retrieved the camera, taking several pictures of Katniss as I held her, snarling and struggling, down with my body. I released her and slowly stood up, still shaking with laughter, but Finnick pulled her into his arms again, Annie still snapping away with her camera.

"Smile, lover," he whispered loudly. "This will be something that I can sell to the tabloids to fund Annie and my honeymoon."

Snorting, Katniss pushed away Finnick's face from hers, sitting down at the table and grabbing a sandwich.

"I think I preferred all of you when I thought you were just out to kill me," she grumbled. Then, looking stricken, she fixed her stare at Annie, afraid that she would relapse again. Instead, Annie let out a light laugh.

"The only things that Finnick kills these days are steaks and potatoes," she jeered, poking him in the side. "Cato, I think you need to spar with Fin before he loses that girlish figure. I'd hate to be married to a pudding of a man."

"Oh there's just more of me to love, and to grab," he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows for effect.

Giggling, Annie excused the two of them, and they disappeared into their compartment. Tension filled the compartment as Peeta and Katniss stared at each other from across the room. Rolling my eyes, I approached Peeta, grabbed him by his upper arm, and deposited him in a chair across from Katniss.

"You two need to go back to being friends," I informed them. "Stop walking on eggshells around each other and find a way to act normally."

I sat down next to Katniss, and filled my plate with chicken and salad.

"Prim looks well for what she had to go through," Peeta said shyly.

Smiling, Katniss replied, "Yeah. I like to think that she got some of my and our father's strength in her. How did your family handle your second encounter in the arena?"

"My brothers were disappointed I didn't make a bigger show in the arena," he shrugged. "My dad was just happy to have me home, hopefully permanently. I was sad to inform him that I had accepted a job at the Capitol, but promised I would visit often. The trains have already begun opening up between the districts, so I'm hoping to be able to make the trip once a month."

Katniss hesitated, before asking quietly, "And your mom?"

Peeta's eyes hardened, the first time I had seen such a look crossing his face, before answering that she didn't disapprove of him anymore. Startled by my sudden laughter in a serious moment, their eyes zoomed in on me, Katniss' narrowing disapprovingly.

"What?" I asked her. "You heard what my mom said to me when they met us at the train station. 'Well at least you're not useless anymore. I can't wait until we can move into our new house in Victor's Village!' As if the abandonment could just be that easily forgiven and forgotten. Looks like you and I have something in common after all Peeta." I clapped him on the back, and he gave me a slow smile.

The rest of the meal passed quickly, the tension slowly dissipating as Katniss and Peeta slowly learned how to interact again.

**Katniss POV**

The delayed scene with District 13 went exactly according to plan, with the funeral procession stumbling across a few stray civilians gathering berries in the woods surrounding the entrance to the underground facilities. Our group was then taken into their custody, camera crew and all, before the planned negotiations took place. They released us, and Coin invited the governing body of District 13 to the Capitol for further peace talks between them. Katniss and I were called into Coin's personal car to congratulate us on our performance on the train ride back. Apparently the entire Capitol was now celebrating the astonishing survivalist nature of humanity.

The train then made the final stop back to the Capitol, where Snow was finally laid to rest in the national cemetery next to the other former leaders. Final interviews were conducted with the Victors, and then it was all over. Finnick and Annie returned to District 4 with plans to start a family; Johanna had been recruited into the new class of Peacekeepers; Beetee returned to District 3, where he worked with other scientists to expand and improve the railroad; Seeder, his partner from District 9, and Thresh returned home to their families; Rory had also gone home, but showed interest in joining the Peacekeepers when he came of age; Cato, Prim, and I were assigned a house near the Governing District.

Final negotiations with District 13 took place a few weeks after we moved in, and Cato and I were required to attend. Dropping Prim off with one of her new school friends to spend the night, we made our way to Coin's office. Passing through security, we were led to a small conference room, where the President and several representatives of District 13 were seated and elbow deep in discussion.

When Cato and I had settled into our seats, the proceedings continued.

"Cato, Katniss," Coin began. "The reason we wanted you here today is because we will need your help to promote a clause in the peace treaty."

"What is this clause?" I asked warily.

"We want to conduct one last Hunger Games, with the tributes made up entirely of Capitol children," she went on. "I'll need your help convincing the districts and Capitol itself that this is a good idea."

Stunned, I simply stared at her.

"How would we do that?" Cato asked skeptically.

"I thought you of all people would figure that out, Cato," Coin said smoothly. "It's an honor in your district to volunteer to be the tribute, to prove that your district is the strongest of all in Panem. You'll simply have to spin it that way."

"I won't do it," I whispered, horrified. "You promised me that the Hunger Games would be volunteer only, and that nobody else needed to die. I won't promote sending even Capitol children to their deaths."

"This is not open to negotiation, Katniss," Coin stated, eyes narrowing angrily. "You _will_ do this, and you will be extremely convincing. The both of you have no say in this matter. You agreed to support me and this is just so happens to fall under our agreement. You have a speech to announce this tonight, and it's already been written for you. You just have to read it and at least act like you mean it. You have 2 hours to prep before you're on the air. You're dismissed."

Cato pulled me out of the room, shaking with rage and with his hand clamped firmly over my mouth. We rounded a corner and he shoved my shoulders into the wall.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "Are you looking to get us all _killed_? You know what that woman is capable of. She tortured her own parents for the sake of ambition. You think she wouldn't hesitate to wipe us off the face of the earth?"

"This is wrong!" I shouted back, straining against his grip. "She said that she would make this country a better place to live, but how is this better? So the Capitol finally knows what it's like to lose their children to mindlessness? Is this how she plans on getting votes from the districts?"

"If you were still bitter with the Capitol, wouldn't this help to heal it?" Cato asked fervently, releasing my shoulders to brush the loose hair away from my face. I finally registered his proximity, and swatted his hand away impatiently, my stomach fluttering. "Watching so many district children die over the years, hating the Capitol as much as you did, would this not have been some sort of vindication for you if you were still at home?"

"This isn't right," I stated again, moving away from him. He didn't allow it, however, and trapped me against the wall again with an arm on either side of my head.

"The elections take place next week," Cato sighed, leaning in and resting his forehead against mine. "She'll probably let us go home after she's voted President, and you won't have to deal with this anymore."

I felt his palms rest on my neck, his thumbs stroking my jaw. A warmth slowly flooded my body and I felt my face flush.

"When this is over and done with, I would like it if you would allow me to take you out," he murmured suddenly.

"Out where?" I asked, uncomprehending.

"Like on a date, idiot," Cato laughed. "Ever been on one of those?"

"Does the arena count?" I asked sarcastically. "Cuz I've been on a lot of those then."

He shook his head, still smiling gently. Something didn't seem right with this situation; I had never known Cato to act soft. Suddenly, an angry thought crossed my mind.

"Is this something that Coin is making you do?" I accused, backing away from him. "This is why she wanted you here with me, so you can distract me from this atrocity with promises of a date?"

Ignoring Cato's stuttered denials, I pushed past him and, fuming, made my way back to our house where the prep team was impatiently waiting for me. He arrived home shortly after I was showered, brushed, lotioned, and made up. Refusing to meet his eye, even during the car ride to the venue, I could not believe that I had even allowed myself the small hope of a future with him. I had trusted him, and he had betrayed me to Coin. I sat stony faced as Coin introduced me, stating that I had a special announcement for the country.

I stepped up to the stage, facing the cameras, and made my choice.

"Good evening Panem. I am here because President Coin wishes me to convince you that the best way to bring the country together is to conduct one final Hunger Games in the old way. The tributes are to be selected from children of Capitol citizens, and the one survivor will be held in esteem as the finest representative of the lands."

I took a deep breath and turned to finally meet Cato's eyes, which pleaded with me not to defy Coin.

"I would officially like to withdraw my support for President Coin's bid for official election. Someone that does not value the life of all of its citizens and does not honor her promises should not lead. This is no time for more deaths, this is a time for peace! Support peace and freedom-"

I was suddenly shoved to one side but fell onto a hard chest. I looked up and caught a glimpse of Cato's concerned eyes before I was ripped out of his protective arms by a Peacekeeper and harshly handcuffed.

"Katniss Everdeen, you are hereby under arrest by order of the President of Panem."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I am now currently taking suggestions for alternate endings that you would like to read! I have a few rolling around in my head but I would also enjoy writing something that you would like to see. The one that I'm doing for sure is to end the 75th Hunger Games traditionally, with one set of winners. As always, thanks for reading and reviews/alerts are appreciated!

Also, for those of you still in school, good luck with finals!


	16. Chapter 16: CatoKatnissPeeta

**Cato POV**

I could not believe she did it. After all her talk of wanting to stay alive for her sister, she threw away all of our lives with a few passionate but damning words. I had hoped my proposition of a date would take her mind off of her problems with Coin's plan, but it seemed instead to only motivate her further to defy the President.

I watched, frozen, as she was dragged away by a half dozen Peacekeepers. I was suddenly pushed off the stage and directed back into the car we arrived in. It sped off into the night, tires squealing, and deposited me back at my house. Haymitch was already there, sitting on the front step with his head in his hands. He startled when the car skid to a halt and stumbled to his feet when I was pushed out. I motioned to unlock the front door but he stopped me with a tense hand on my arm and an unsteady shake of his head.

"Not here," he muttered. He then continued loudly, "Help an old man to his room would you? I seem to have gotten a bit lost."

Remembering his habit of using his inebriation as an excuse for his behavior, I simply threw him over my shoulder.

"Where are you staying?" I asked quietly.

"The training center," he grunted. "Put me down; I can walk."

"I need answers and I'm not waiting for you to waddle your way 5 blocks," I growled. "You'll stay up there and you'll stay quiet."

Grumbling to himself, Haymitch lay limply as I strode through the street, garnering many curious glances from Capitol citizens as well as a few light laughs. It looked like Haymitch was just as infamous with the general populace here as he was between his fellow mentors. Stepping through the doors of the Training Center, I was met by a couple of Peacekeepers who asked me where I headed to. Gesturing to the man sprawled across my shoulder, I gave them a tight smile when they motioned me toward the elevators.

Stepping into the first one that opened, Haymitch directed me to the 12th floor. I bent to put him on his feet once I stepped out of the elevator on the top floor but he gripped the back of my pants, dragging them up painfully.

"Down the hall and back up the stairs to the roof," he mumbled. "It's cooler up there and I could use some more fresh air."

Surrounded by the swirling winds on top of the Training Center, I dropped Haymitch onto a patch of grass with a grunt and rolled my shoulders and neck. The old man was heavy.

"Talk," I bit out, straightening my pants.

Sighing, he raised himself into a sitting position, looking defeated and worried.

"She's always had a damned rebellious streak," he started. "I'm not even certain that the whole thing wasn't staged to get her out of the picture."

"What was staged?" I asked impatiently. "And who would want Katniss out of the picture? She had almost all of the districts on her side, and I had the rest on mine. We all but guaranteed that Coin would be elected."

"Yes, you did a great job of being convincing and optimistic," he groaned. "Too good actually. Polls were starting to show that people liked you and Katniss more than they actually liked Coin. I suspect that Coin just needed a reason to get rid of Katniss, but still build more sympathy toward the Capitol from the districts that Katniss represented. It's well known among the mentors that the more bitter of the districts are pushing for the Hunger Games to end with Capitol children's blood. I'm certain that now Coin has won over more people with the announcement of those Games than she lost by putting Katniss under arrest."

"If the people love me and Katniss more than Coin, how does locking Katniss up help her?" I asked incredulous. "Wouldn't that make her more hated?"

"People are easy to manipulate, Cato, when they don't have all the facts," Haymitch sighed resignedly. "I'm sure that it will be easy to pin a few charges on Katniss and turn the districts against her. They may have seen her as a symbol against the Capitol, but the changes in conditions that Coin's already put in place along with the other promises that she's made has raised her popularity. And nothing draws public gossip than a fallen hero."

Cursing, I collapsed onto the grass beside the shrewd drunk.

"What will happen to her?" I asked softly, staring up at the dim stars and wishing I was back in District 12.

"Knowing Coin, she'll be executed after a brief, biased trial," he murmured, turning his head away from me. "She's probably being questioned right now by the Peacekeepers."

He turned his body toward me, and laid a hand on my head, ruffling my hair slightly.

"She got to you too didn't she," he snorted. "She has a talent for it; getting under your skin when it's the last thing you want. I really didn't want to like her. She was rude and very unpleasant, but she has a tenacity and loyalty to those she loves that you just have to admire."

"I asked her out on a date after Coin released us," I admitted quietly. "She completely took it the wrong way, and accused me of being Coin's lackey and trying to distract her from feeling bad about the Capitol Hunger Games. She's just so oblivious to everything emotional around her, it's frustrating. I don't know how Peeta stuck with her for so long."

Snickering, Haymitch told me, "Peeta is a very special boy. I liked him right off the bat. He was personable, friendly, and could nail an interview without much prep. Almost the complete opposite of Katniss. But you and her, you're cut from the same tough cloth. I've heard about your story from your district mentors, and both of you have gone through trials early in your life that shaped you into who you are today. You understand each other far better than Peeta ever could fathom. It's just a shame it can never happen now."

I jumped to my feet when the door opened with a bang, and was extremely surprised and confused to see Johanna silhouetted against the bright stairway.

"Get in here now," she demanded. "Coin's making a speech about her."

Johanna and I ran down the stairs back to the viewing room, Haymitch following a few seconds later, wheezing and holding a stitch in his side. Coin sat at a desk in her office, speaking calmly but gravely into the camera.

"I am sure most of you have seen by now that Katniss Everdeen has regretfully abandoned the progress that this country has been making. I am just as stunned and saddened by this as I'm sure all of you are. She had projected herself to be an ally of advancement and equality, but when the time came to make the ultimate decision, she found herself lacking. I am here to announce, however, that the final Hunger Games _will_ proceed as planned, with 24 tributes from the Capitol having the honor to represent the country in the last ever Games. Many of you in the Capitol have dreamed of this moment; dreamed of the moment when the spotlight can be turned onto you, instead of just the districts. I am very proud tonight to allow that dream to come to fruition for so many strong, capable people."

She paused, as if on the brink of a difficult decision, before continuing.

"My advisors have cautioned me on making this information public, but I believe that this is something that all citizens of Panem should know and realize. We have discovered evidence that Ms. Everdeen may have been plotting to do harm to the Capitol and the districts. While I cannot, for security reasons, reveal what our suspicions are, a trial to determine her guilt will be held as soon as a court can be convened. I assure you, citizens of Panem, that the truth will be told and that justice, if needed, will be done.

"My dedication to see this country move forward is unwavering and unmitigated. Any who stand in the way of progress will be left behind. Any who threaten the very well being of its citizens will be prosecuted. Citizens, I ask you to stand behind me and look around at the changes already being made, at the changes that have yet to be realized. Together, we will realize a better future so that our children will not live in fear and hunger anymore. Do not be disheartened by one girl's foolish decisions, but instead use it as a glue to hold us together. Thank you for your time, Panem, and thank you for your hearts."

The television then cut to news reporters, who were fervently discussing the treason charges that Katniss had been slapped with. I felt my stomach sink when I realized that I couldn't do anything to help her; I had no clue where she was being held or even how I would be able to break her out if I did know. I sprang to my feet and furiously paced around the room.

Eyes following me, Johanna suddenly gave a bark of a laugh.

"Well I'm pretty much ready to die, what about you stud?" she asked me with a grin.

"What are you talking about?" I replied warily.

"I know where she's being kept," she winked. "All you have to say is 'go' and I'll take you to her. One word of caution: you'll never get her out alive."

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"Being held in Coin's personal dungeons, underneath Snow's mansion," was her casual reply.

The mansion was not far from here, a twenty minute hike if we cut across some backyards.

"We'll need supplies," I turned to her, grinning.

**Katniss POV**

After my impromptu speech, I had been escorted roughly to a large vehicle sitting outside the building. Coin had already been waiting for me there, a tiny smile playing on her thin lips.

"Well, Miss Everdeen," she sighed. "That was quite the scene you just made. I haven't seen an audience that stunned since Caesar declared glittery bow-ties to be out of fashion."

I sat mutely, knowing that she was looking for a reason to damn me and Prim. I may have doomed myself, but I knew that she could not touch a hair on Prim's head without looking bad in front of voters.

Smiling, she continued casually, "I do have to thank you though. The idea of a Capitol Hunger Games was a hit with the districts if intelligence is correct. They're practically foaming at the mouths to see the spoiled, privileged Capitol children destroy each other horrifically. I already have Plutarch working on the setting. Now with you declaring your opposition, the districts seem to be slowly turning away from you. When I officially announce your treason charges, they should all be mine."

We pulled in front of Snow's mansion and two Peacekeepers grabbed each of my arms, dragging me out of the car and behind the house. A grass covered panel sank down and then slid away, to reveal a set of stairs and brightly lit, underground catacombs. I was swiftly pulled toward one door, pushed inside, and dropped onto a stiff cot against the wall before the Peacekeepers strode out of the room. The handcuffs automatically released once the door was locked and closed, and I heard a calm, female voice instruct me to hang them on a hook on the door. Looking up, I noticed a camera that tracked my every movement as I walked about the room. The cell was surprisingly airy, roomy enough for me to pace restlessly.

Bored with pacing, I sat back down on the bed, the full implications of what I had done finally hitting me. I was imprisoned facing treason charges, punishable by death according to my schooling. What would become of Prim? I scooted back on the cot until my back hit the wall, bringing my knees up to my chest and resting my chin on them. Sighing, I wondered if I would get a chance to see her again, to see any of them again. I had done all of this to keep her safe, and now I had probably made her future more uncertain than at any previous point in her life. Maybe Coin would allow me one last request so I could send Prim back to District 12, or even keep her in Peeta's custody in the Capitol. In my mind, it was better for her to grow up well fed in the Capitol than face the poverty and starvation that was still troubling the districts.

Suddenly exhausted, I eased myself onto the thin mattress and fell asleep to the images of Prim in Capitol couture, her iridescent blonde hair dyed a shimmering sky blue. I immediately fell off my cot when the sound of gunfire erupted above me. Not knowing who was shooting, I crawled under the metal frame, peeking out in case my door opened. Footsteps drew closer and, with a small click, my door swung open, Cato framed in the doorway.

"Get out from under there," he said indignantly. "I didn't come to rescue a coward did I?"

"Cato," I whispered, still consumed by doubt. "Why are you here?"

"Didn't I just say?" he replied impatiently, holding his hand out to me. "Let's go before Johanna shoots both of us."

I then noticed the gun in his hand, long and mean looking. Offhandedly wondering if there was a weapon that he hadn't been trained with, I silently padded after him up the stairs and into the cool night air. Johanna was waiting crouched by the entrance to the underground lair, her eyes narrowed and forehead wrinkled.

"This was too easy," she muttered. "Something isn't right."

"What are you talking about too easy," Cato whispered back. "We had to kill four of them standing guard."

"Yes but for someone like Katniss, someone that you know people are going to try to attempt a rescue effort, they would definitely put her under tighter security you idiot," she hissed. "There were four guards wandering around the lawn, and nobody else down in the bunker itself guarding it. Someone's expected us. Move out, keep your eyes open."

Cato handed me a set of bow and arrows he pulled from the bushes, similar to the pair I had received in the arena. With a look that told me not to hesitate to use them, he followed after Johanna. I saw a car parked on the side of the street that she was making a beeline for; we were almost free. She had just reached the driver side and slid into the seat when it exploded, the fireball igniting the night and filling the air with the acrid smell of burning fuel and tires.

"Johanna!" I screamed, sprinting for the car before I was tackled to the ground. Fighting off my assailant, I registered that he was pleading with me. Looking up, I realized that Cato had stopped me and was currently pinning down my body with his own weight.

"Stop Katniss," he ordered. "She's gone! There's nothing more we can do for her! We have to get out of here; this was obviously a setup."

He yanked me off the ground, setting off at a spring back toward our house in the Capitol. The sound of several drawn guns soon stopped us, along with a slow clapping.

"Good show boys and girls!" a Peacekeeper exclaimed, emerging from the shadows. He was a large man, wide shouldered with a scar that ran from his forehead to his chin in a jagged line. "I never even thought you'd make it this far! If you weren't traitors to the country, I'd consider letting you join my regiment. Shame about the other girl too; she showed real talent during basic training."

A dozen cars surrounded us, their lights blinding in the night. Everywhere I looked, I saw nothing but Peacekeepers, some even in civilian clothing, pointing weapons at us. Raising our hands as ordered, Cato and I were handcuffed and marched back down the bunker. I shot Johanna's still crackling car one last look as we passed it, thanking her for trying. Oddly enough, we were both escorted into my old room. The scarred man followed us, waving all the other Peacekeepers out of the room and shutting the door.

"Hope you guys had fun in your last escapade," he teased. "Coin had us film the two of you killing those Peacekeepers and break this little girl out of here. At least you'll both go down together, like lovers should."

His loud laughter echoing around us, he knocked on the door to open and left us alone. Cato immediately rushed to me, drawing me into a tight hug.

"Are you ok?" he asked hurriedly. "Did they do anything to you before we got here?"

Shaking my head, I told him that they had just taken me to the room we were standing in.

"Kinda stuffy isn't it?" he asked lightly. I let out a quiet laugh.

"Guess so," I replied. "Why did you come?"

"You really have to ask?" he questioned, loosening his grip but not completely letting me go. "After all we've been through, after asking you out, you _still_ don't know?"

"Well you're kind of late for that date," I muttered, gesturing up at the cameras. "Did you see Prim at all?"

"She's with Peeta," I answered swiftly. "It's one of the first things Johanna and I did. He promised us that he would keep her alive no matter the cost."

"Thank you," I breathed, relieved. I squeezed my arms tightly around his chest, knowing that the one person I trusted to care for Prim more than myself had vowed for her safety.

"Coin made a speech," he said quietly. "She said that you- well I guess us now- were going up on trial for treason. Looks like we might be alive for a short while yet."

The lights in our room suddenly went off, plunging both of us in unsettling darkness. I grabbed for Cato's hand and led him carefully to the small bed. He eased himself down and pulled me against his chest.

"I'm sorry for ever doubting your intentions," I whispered to him.

"It would have been a hell of a date," he replied cheekily.

The next few days passed mundanely, the door opening every few hours either for food or to let us out for a bathroom break. We even got a quick, cold shower the second day of our imprisonment. Cato and I spent most of our time talking, and I grew comfortable in his arms. We shared our first real kiss in the privacy of the artificial darkness and I clung to him as if he was the last real thing I had left. We knew nothing but each other those days, and especially the nights. The room was so dark that the only way I knew if I was awake was hearing the constant beating of his heart against my ear, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against my cheek.

The third day, three Peacekeepers entered the room, ordering Cato and I to separate and to put our hands and forehead against the wall. I felt one behind me, grab my wrists, and handcuff me. I heard Cato start to struggle as I was led out of the room, but turned to him and offered him a small smile and a swift head shake. I didn't want him in any more trouble than he had already gotten into for me. I was led to a plush room with several television monitors on it, only one of which was on however. The Peacekeeper deposited me into a chair in front of it, turning the sound on. A room full of people looked back at me stoically.

"Katniss Everdeen, correct?" a man in a flowing black robe asked sternly.

"Yes, that's me," I replied confidently.

"Ms. Everdeen, you have been tried before the High Court for multiple counts of treason. A case has been made for and against you, and we are here to listen to anything that you would like to say on your own behalf. Please keep in mind that whatever is said now will be used as evidence for or against your case. You also have the right to refuse to say anything, and you will be led back to your cell until a verdict has been reached. Is there anything that you would like to say to us?"

I stared at them, not knowing if anything I said could change the judgmental glares that I was receiving. Surely all of these people were already in the pockets of Coin; she wanted me dead. There was only one thing that I wanted, and this appeared to be my last chance to make it known.

"My sister, Primrose Everdeen, my friend, Peeta Mellark, and my mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, had no knowledge of any of these events," I declared, speaking slowly and clearly. "I would like reassurance that they have not been charged with any crimes."

"The people you have listed have already been tried, and Ms. Everdeen and Mr. Mellark have been found to be innocent of any charges of treason or conspiracy," he stated carefully. "Mr. Abernathy has, however, been found guilty of conspiracy as he was spotted in the company of your arena partner and Johanna Mason just hours before the attack on the Mansion bunker."

"What's going to happen to him?" I asked desperately. I needed Haymitch to stay alive; he could help Peeta and Prim recover from this much easier.

"His title as Victor and wealth have been stripped from him, and he has been sent home to District 12 to live out his days in poverty and exile," the man on his right answered. "If I were you, Ms. Everdeen, I would be more concerned about your own fate. You're facing execution by firing squad in a public display. Do you really have nothing to say in your defense?"

I maintained my stony silence. They would get nothing out of me that they could use in a future news story; I would not allow them to see me beg or be rattled. The man in the middle motioned to the Peacekeepers who pulled me out of the chair and escorted me back to my room. Cato was already sitting on the cot, handcuffed and with a red mark across his temple. Pushing me into a sitting position beside him, the Peacekeeper pulled Cato and left the room with him. Knowing what he was going to face, I awkwardly laid down on the bed, my feet still planted on the floor and arms held behind me. He was back a few minutes later, much sooner than I had first thought, with a fresh scuff mark on his cheek. He was shoved through the open door and landed hard on the floor. The cuffs released as soon as the door was locked, and I ran to him, lifting him up gently to rest his back against the wall.

"What did you do?" I asked him quietly, running my fingers gently over his bruises.

"Told them where they could shove their fake defense," he grunted. He pressed my cold hand against his cheek, saying that it felt nice.

**Peeta POV**

I had loved her since I was 5 years old, as I sat at my desk, in awe of her voice which carried out the open window to the mockingjays. I loved her the day I watched her world fall apart when she accepted the Mayor's medal for her father's death. I loved her the day I peeked at her from a swollen black eye in the rain with purposely burned bread. I loved her the day I shook her hand as my enemy in the arena. I loved her the day she almost killed herself to heal my blood poisoning in the arena. I loved her through the farce of our relationship. I loved her as I watched her grow closer to another boy.

Now, I found myself hating her, hated her for being virtuous, for being stubborn, but mostly, for being herself. I hated being the only one who Prim could turn to when her sister was first charged with treason. I hated sitting at home with her while Cato and Johanna attempted their ill fated rescue. I hated not knowing what to say or how to comfort her when the children at school ostracized her and threw rocks which cut her skinny, pale leg. I hated not being able to convince Prim to eat every night that her sister had been away, watching the healthy glow leave her skin until only a ghostly skeleton remained. I hated hearing her screams when Katniss and Cato were found guilty of their false crimes, found guilty of being the pawns of an insane leader. I hated the night I sat awake, listening to Prim's sobs through the thin walls as she tried to come to grips with the fact that she would have to be present when her sister was going to be executed.

But mostly, I hated how lonely and empty I felt being in my bedroom alone, nursing a bottle of whiskey Haymitch had sent over before he was forced back to District 12. Clenching my fists and gritting my teeth, I vowed that no matter how long it took, I would see to it that Alma Coin paid for the destruction of my heart. I was a very patient man; I had waited, in vain, for a girl to realize that she loved me as much as I loved her for over a decade. Prim would live to see her sister avenged, and I would live to see it carried out.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thank you for the reviews and suggestions I got on the last chapter. I got a lot of amazing recommendations and I plan to put them all to good use ;). Please feel free to leave a review!


	17. Chapter 17: CatoGale

**Cato POV**

If someone had asked me how I pictured my eventual death when I first joined the academy, I would have said at the point of a spear by one of my mentors. They were merciless in our training and the slightest mistake was rewarded by a bruise or a stitched cut. I had often spent nights in the infirmary, having a broken bone set or an arrowhead extracted from my leg.

If someone had asked when I volunteered as a tribute, I would have said that it was impossible for someone like me to be defeated, even by something as inevitable as death; I was entirely certain of my victory. I landed more blows against my mentors than they managed against me, even sending the sword master to the infirmary missing a few fingers. I was the envy of the academy and at the peak of perfection when I entered the Captiol.

However, being able to count down the days I had left on one hand made me realize that I would rather stand beside Katniss and face down the barrel of a gun than live forever alone.

I had never really dated in District 2, my good looks and status as imminent Victor attracting girls naturally; so I was surprised how easily Katniss and I interacted in our cell. Our talks flowed naturally and our silences were comfortable; she fit perfectly in my arms. But being locked in a stark white room day and night, a heavy metal door being the only way out, I finally understood the oppression that the outlying districts felt. The Capitol dictated when and how I ate, bathed, slept, and acted. The illusion of freedom I had living in District 2 had lifted. Living or dying, we did so in the grip of the Capitol.

I woke up several times a night, nightmares of my sister, Katniss, the Games, and Clove plaguing me. Each time I jerked awake, I tightened my grip on Katniss, burying my face in her hair. My rage at the Capitol grew with each day, my frustration with our situation quickly following. As I watched Peacekeepers drag Katniss away from me on the third day of our confinement, all I could focus on was her retreating back, not knowing where she was being taken to or why. I quickly drove my elbow into one Peacekeeper's face as soon as she was out of my sight, intent on following them. More white uniformed men quickly filed in, one of them holding a long, metal rod which he struck swiftly against my temple. Stunned, I slumped onto the hard bed, struggling to sit up when I heard Katniss' light footsteps a short while later. Opening my mouth to ask her what happened, I was pulled up by two Peacekeepers who kept a crushing grip on my upper arms as they pulled me down the hallway and pushed me into a room near the end.

A group of men sat before me on the television, offering me a deal if I testified before a national audience against Katniss. I was told that I could go home, still holding onto my status as Victor. Apparently unimpressed with my curses and suggestion they take the gavel and shove it up their nether regions, the metal rod wielding Peacekeeper again struck me, making me see stars and leaving me with a pounding headache. I vaguely registered being dragged back to the room and tossed onto the floor. Katniss chided me softly about my recklessness, laying soft kisses on my bruised face. A first aid kit was tossed in a few minutes later, along with two canteens of water. Gulping down painkillers, I passed out quickly.

I was shaken awake several hours later.

"Cato, wake up Cato, we need to get you ready for your television appearance!" an unfamiliar, bright voice chirped. I swatted my hand heavily in the air, eventually smacking against something solid.

A swift gasp caused me to open my eyes, my entire head still throbbing. Looking up, I saw Cinna's stylists hovering cautiously above me, one of them rubbing his cheek. Muttering a quick apology, I was told that Coin wanted us pretty for our sentencing. A small number of quick injections to my face reduced the swelling and the pain and a few pats with powder covered my bruises. We were dressed in somber but formal attire and led, handcuffed, to a waiting car. We were unloaded at the courthouse and, along with our escort of Peacekeepers, directed a large, ornate room where Coin and the men I saw on television were seated on a raised platform, surrounded by cameras. Once we were pushed into plush chairs below them, our handcuffs were removed and the hearing began.

A preliminary reading of our charges commenced and the verdict reannounced. Katniss and I were ordered to rise to our feet as our sentence was read by the man I had seen on television the day before.

"It is the decision of the High Court of Panem, that the criminals before us are hereby sentenced to death by firing squad. The sentence will be carried out in a private ceremony in three days' time but will be televised for the benefit of Panem's citizens. President Coin has a few words she would like to say."

Coin rose out of her seat, towering high above us.

"Thank you Judge. Katniss, Cato, we have unfortunately come a long way since we first met. Never would I have imagined that you would think to carry out such duplicity on this country."

Her eyes met mine and twinkled with a gleeful light. I stared back at her, blank.

"However, in the spirit of mercy and growth, I would like to offer you a choice. Instead of being ensured your deaths, I would like to extend to you the offer to represent the districts in the last Hunger Games. You and Cato will reenter the arena as tributes, and will be given the opportunity to fight your way out. Naturally, standard Games rules will have to apply; only one of the tributes can emerge as the winner."

Katniss grasped my arm at her words, squeezing until her nails bit into my skin. I placed a soft hand over hers, relaxing her grip but keeping her fingers tangled in mine.

"Now, we don't expect you to decide right now. You'll have all 3 days to think about it, and we'll revisit the matter that morning."

We were brought back to the bunker and led back to our room. After the handcuffs released us, we both collapsed onto the bed, Katniss crawling into my arms.

"We should do it," I stated, determined. "You could easily win and go back home to Prim. You've done it twice before, and this time you'll be doing it against incredibly spoiled and soft Capitol kids."

"Are you serious?" she asked angrily. "I'm not allowing you to commit suicide, especially not for me."

"Why not?" I countered, matching her fury. "Why is it alright for you to do it for people you care for, but it's just completely absurd for me to do so?"

"You are not dying for me," she stated, pushing herself away and leaning against the wall farthest from me with her arms crossed.

"Looks like I am either way," I bit back, standing.

Sighing at her stunned look, I immediately regretted my harsh words. Striding toward her, a jolt shot through my stomach when she jerked away.

"Katniss, don't do this," I pleaded, holding out a hand toward her. "This is what Coin wants. She wants to make us fight and disagree. Why do you feel so strongly against going back into the arena?"

She glanced at my outstretched hand before bypassing it to sit on the bed.

"I just wish I could have some time alone," she whispered.

Hardening my face to prevent it from showing my hurt, I pounded on the door, yelling that I felt sick. A pair of Peacekeepers led me to the bathroom and stood guard outside the door. I locked the door behind me and sat down on the toilet, pressing my palms roughly against my forehead.

How was I going to sway someone more stubborn than I was?

When the Peacekeepers started pounding on the door a few minutes later, I opened it and allowed them to lead me back. I found Katniss curled up on the bed, back to the door. Sighing, I leaned against the far wall and slid to the ground.

"I'm sick of people dying because of me," her quiet voice penetrated the dense silence. "I honestly just want things to go back to the way they were before Prim was reaped. I would take the starvation and the poverty if it meant that those people I killed in the arenas could still be alive; if it meant that Prim would at least have a secure future."

"Nothing can change the past, Katniss," I replied softly. "I don't want to tell you to just get over it, but I refuse to spend the last 3 days of my life miserable. I'm not going to get into what if we had done this and if only we had done that. This is our present, and I want to make the best of it. I would prefer to have you with me for this, but if this is how you're going to act, then I'm going to request my own room."

When I received no reply, I pushed myself off the ground and strode to the door. I turned when I heard rapid footsteps behind me, and grunted when a heavy body threw itself at me. I banged my head sharply against the metal door, the empty clunk making Katniss giggle wetly.

"And here I thought there was actually something floating around in that big head of yours," she mumbled into my chest.

I tightened my arms around her, and rested my chin against the crown of her head.

"Prim is taken care of, Katniss," I whispered. "Peeta promised Johanna and me that he would do whatever it took to keep her safe, including renouncing any allegiance to us. He's well liked by his peers, and I'm fairly certain that she'll have a good life with him. It'll be hard for her, but she will move on, just like you had to move on from your father's death. From what I've seen of her, she's stronger than you give her credit for."

"I know," she whispered. She stood up on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on my jaw. "I'm glad I don't have to do this alone."

I bent down and trailed kisses from her forehead to her temple, down her cheek. She let out a small giggle when I nibbled gently at her neck.

"Is someone ticklish?" I mumbled into her shoulder. Smiling evilly at her fervent head shake, I softly ran my fingers down her sides. She punched me in the stomach, and I let her go, feigning injury. I crumpled onto the ground, moaning lightly and grabbing my abdomen.

"Cato?" she asked cautiously, inching forward. "Oh come on, no way that hurt you. Quit being a big baby."

Peeking at her, I internally smirked when I saw her worried expression. I curled into a ball on my side and fell still, listening to her footsteps as she drew closer to me. When she paused inches away from me, I quickly tackled her to the ground, rolling so that she sat on top of me. Deflecting her half hearted punches to my chest and face, I reveled in her bright laughter.

The metal door suddenly opened and I rolled onto my feet, pulling Katniss up and pushing her behind me.

"Face the wall with your hands on it above your head," an unfamiliar Peacekeeper instructed, stepping slowly into the room. I was used to seeing the same 8 Peacekeepers rotate through duties while we were trapped here, and it unsettled me to see a new face.

"Where are the others?" I asked casually as I put my palms against the wall in front of me.

"Waiting outside the door," he answered curtly. "Don't try anything, or I guarantee you'll regret it."

Sneering at him, I was led out to a car, startled to see that it was already night. Time was hard to gage underground, but we normally would have been fed dinner by now. We were told to pause by the car, and a blindfold was slipped over my eyes and tied securely. I was guided into the car by a firm hand and felt Katniss scoot close to me. The car drove in what seemed like circles, taking several sharp turns in quick succession and making Katniss and I bump shoulders. The car finally squeaked to a halt what seemed like hours later and we were led up a short flight of stairs. I heard a door close behind us and wood creak under my feet. The air was musty and smelled of mold. Was this where they planned to kill us? Coin told us that we had 3 days. I tensed and prepared myself to fight when I was roughly shoved into a hard chair. I heard who I assumed was Katniss receiving similar treatment to my right and the blindfold was abruptly torn off.

The room was brightly lit and I squinted as my eyes adjusted. I made out a woman sitting before us, and lunged at her, thinking it was Coin. I was shoved back into my chair when Peacekeepers grabbed my shoulders from behind. While two held me down, another cuffed my hands to the wooden chair itself.

"Calm down, boy," he hissed as he adjusted the cuffs. "We're here to help you."

"Then what is this?" I asked him, banging metal against wood.

"Maybe I could clear things up for the two of you," the woman in front of me said. I finally turned my attention back to her and realized that she looked nothing like Coin. She had brown hair which was pulled back and her posture was rigid. She looked disciplined, possibly military or a high Peacekeeper.

"I wish the restraints and the blindfolds weren't necessary, but we need to protect ourselves from all those that would hurt our cause," she explained. "Right now, Coin thinks that you two are at a planned dinner with Peeta and Prim; they have been informed that you will not make it tonight but we have made arrangements for you to see them tomorrow. We don't have a lot of time right now so I'm requiring that you don't ask any questions until I'm finished and then I'll answer your questions if I can. Understood?"

I nodded when her hard eyes met mine, Katniss doing so as well, although more hesitantly.

"The upper command of District 13 installed Alma Coin as a spy when she was 18 years old. She was sent in with the specific mission to relay back Snow's plans and movements. We never thought that she'd rise so far as to join Snow's trusted circle. What she's had to do to get up there, though, was- disturbing to say the least. When we heard that she was planning a Capitol Hunger Games, we knew for sure that we had lost control of her. She had let the power go to her head, and we cannot let this continue.

"This is where you come in. I know that you're innocent of the crimes that Coin had pressed on you, and we're willing to correct this situation. In return, we need your help to expose Coin for the crimes that _she's_ committed as well as get elected a new President. With Coin out of the way, Capitol officials will clamor for the top job. If any of them are elected, things will go back the way they were with Snow. With a District 13 President, the plans we have to expand and unify the districts and Capitol can progress. Now you may ask your questions."

I let Katniss speak first, knowing that this was more about her than me.

"What is it that you want _us_ to do exactly?" she asked skeptically. "Coin told me the districts turned against me when I said I was against the Capitol Hunger Games."

"Ahh well, see she wasn't being entirely forthcoming there," she grinned. "The districts you represented, upon learning that she planned on actually executing you, are vowing to withhold their vote. I'm not surprised you haven't heard about this yet; I don't imagine you're very well informed hidden in that cell and this being a rather new development."

"Who would we be campaigning for this time?" she questioned.

"Me," was the simple response. "The members of the upper government of District 13 took a vote, and I came out on top."

"What makes you any better than Snow or Coin?" I finally spoke. "I wasn't made aware of what Snow was capable of until the Victory Tour and Coin dropped us the moment she didn't need us anymore. I'm through with being used by you people."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the woman muttered that leading soldiers was preferable to the intrigues of government.

"Look I can't tell you what to do and I won't go so far as to threaten those you love," she grumbled. "With your help, the Capitol will no longer be able to oppress the districts and nobody has to die unnecessarily. If you do not agree to this, which you are free to do, we will be forced to keep Coin in office until we can come up with another contingency plan. She's preferable to any of the Capitol officials who will try to be elected. Knowing that District 13 is still alive and well will no doubt cause them to declare war. There is no way that 13 will submit to Capitol rule again; more people are going to die. The changes Coin has made are the beginning of what we want, and I hope to lead without the added benefit of her insanity."

"Who's' we'?" Katniss demanded. "For that matter, who are you?"

"I never did introduce myself did I?" the woman smiled wryly. "Call me Commander Paylor. I'm a high officer in the military of District 13. The 'we' I refer to are fellow members of the high council that govern 13 who have seen enough of war and death. We just want a unified, equal country."

"Why don't you just take the Capitol by force?" I asked. "It sounds like you guys have a well structured military and history tells us that you harbor nuclear weapons."

"I, personally, don't want to see thousands killed," she said matter-of-factly. "I would rather see Coin in leadership than to come up with a plan to storm the Capitol. To accomplish something like that takes a war beyond what District 13 can sustain."

"What will happen to us when you're elected?" Katniss asked quietly, staring intently at Paylor.

"I know you have trouble trusting any high official right now, Katniss, but I promise you that you will be allowed to go home and do whatever pleases you," Paylor assured her. "I would like for you to stay and help with the reconstruction efforts, especially in the poorer districts, but I would understand thoroughly if you just wanted to be left alone."

"And what will happen to us if you're not elected," Katniss pressed, meeting Paylor's eyes.

"I don't know, Katniss," she replied. "What will happen to the residents in 13 I imagine."

"You're all taking as big of a risk as we are doing this aren't you?" I observed. "If things go according to plan, you're golden; but if they don't, you're dead."

She nodded. I turned to Katniss, and realized that her face was drawn and pale.

"Can you leave us alone to discuss this?" I asked Paylor as politely as I could manage.

She nodded once and rose to leave, but hesitated at the door. She strode back to us and released our handcuffs.

"I guess now is the time to start trusting each other," she stated as she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

I rubbed my wrists and stretch out my arms, wincing when the pain of recirculation hit. I glanced over at Katniss, and saw that she sat limply in her chair, her arms held at her side. I knelt in front of her chair and gently lifted her face to meet my eyes.

"Are you ok?" I inquired softly. "We've had quite a week."

Smiling tiredly, she agreed.

"Can we really trust her, Cato?" she sighed. "We've been tricked before."

"Katniss I've spent most of my childhood with girls and women like her," I muttered. "They're warriors and soldiers, with very few ulterior motives. You know that we both had misgivings about Coin when we met her, but I have a feeling that she's being genuine. Besides, with our luck, someone will come up with an assassination or crimes against humanity for her too if she gets too out of line. I'm definitely not ready to die yet; besides, you still owe me that date."

I winked at her, kissing her softly and reveled in her bright laugh.

"If this goes wrong, I blame you," she grumbled.

Paylor came back into the room, saying that our time was up. We had to return to the bunker before Coin received word that we were gone for too long.

"What is your answer for me?" she demanded.

Looking at each other, Katniss and I collectively nodded, jaws set and eyes determined. Paylor let out an audible sigh of relief.

"Keep quiet about this," she warned. "Do not even talk about this between yourselves. You are being monitored in your every move in the cell, even when the lights are off. We probably won't speak again until the morning of your execution. If all goes well, it won't be your last."

With that grim sendoff, we were handcuffed and blindfolded again before being led back to the car. The drive to Snow's mansion was just as convoluted as the drive from, and I was starving by the time that we were placed back in the room. Grimacing when I only saw our usual water canteens on the bedside table, I resigned myself to a painful night. I was astounded, however, when the door opened shortly after we arrived and a dinner cart was rolled in.

"We were told that you didn't enjoy your dinner," the Peacekeeper sneered. "Wouldn't want the condemned to go hungry."

Shrugging off his words, I dug into the meal. Katniss, however, stared at it as if sure it was poisoned.

"What?" I asked her through a mouthful of bread and meat.

"Nothing," she whispered, picking up a bowl and serving herself some of the lamb and plum stew.

**Gale POV**

"Get out of my way, Rory!" I shouted as I tried to push my younger brother out of my way.

"What will you do for her, Gale?" he demanded as he shoved me back against the brightly painted wall. "Get yourself killed? Get her killed? Prim? What do you hope to accomplish. You've never even been to the Capitol. How do you expect to find her?"

"I _will_ find her and I'll bring her back here," I growled back at him, pushing back at him. "Why are you doing this? The family is taken care of with your winnings. This house has more than enough room for half the Seam. What do you need me here for?"

I waved my hand around the plush living room, from the velvety red couch to the large, glowing television to the mantle of the fireplace, above which hung a recent family portrait. None of these things were given to my family by me; I wouldn't have been able to trade all the game in the forest for the oak stand that the television stood on. They didn't need me to survive anymore. Why would Rory keep me here, helpless, when Katniss obviously needed me? Her large brute of an arena partner was obviously as useless as I suspected, and I wish I had taken him up on his offer to fight it out before they left District 12. It would have convinced her not to trust him, not to rely on him to see her out of danger.

"I'm doing it for your own good, Gale," Rory ground out. "You do this, storm off to the Capitol, you will not be helping her and you sure as hell aren't helping any of us. I've seen the Capitol, in case you've forgotten. I know what the people are like there, and I'm familiar with the amount of security they have. Your face has been in the national spotlight, both as my brother and Katniss' cousin. You don't think you'll be recognized the instant you step off the train?"

I stared back at him, still defiant. He was tall enough to look me directly in the eyes now, and his days in the Capitol and the arena had given him new muscles that were a match for my own, which had been honed in the forest and, more recently, the mines. His eyes were more haunted than I remembered them ever being, but I had often seen the same look in Katniss' eyes. It made me hate the Capitol even more.

I was astonished when Katniss declared her opposition to a Capitol-fed Hunger Games, especially since it would mean that the Capitol would finally get a taste of what they were dishing out to us yearly; I would finally be able to enjoy a Games where I didn't have to watch someone I went to school with or played with be gruesomely murdered. Rory had simply sighed, saying that I couldn't understand and that revenge was not something that he was looking for anymore. I realized that Rory had grown up without me; he had matured and looked to the future whereas I was stuck in the past. Stuck in a place where I was obsessed with catching Katniss' attention and being the pillar for our family. Now that I had neither of those things, I had no clue what to do with myself.

"What would you have me do then?" I questioned him.

"I would have you stay here, be my big brother, help to raise Vick and Posy," he answered honestly. "I would have you stay here to help mom, you know she's overwhelmed a lot with so many of us to look after. Look, I know you haven't felt like yourself since the Games ended. But it doesn't mean that you're useless to us. I still need you. Whatever Katniss is going through, we're all devastated by it. She's been our neighbor and your best friend my entire life; and like it or not, she's the only reason I survived the Games. You can't even blame her for leaving when she did; I know you would have done the same for any of us."

I let his words sink in. I was needed here. I had a purpose. I had to hold my family together here. I wasn't the only one suffering. My mother often emerged from her room with dark shadows under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept all night. I realized how selfish I had been, drowning in my own self-pity when there were others that were leaning on me.

"When did you grow up on me?" I asked Rory, playfully ruffling his hair.

"When you started acting like a girl on her period," he quipped back at me, ducking under my hand and punching my shoulder.

I tackled him to the ground, the plush carpeting softening our fall, and wrestled with him. Posy, always ready for a fight, heard our scuffling and came tottering toward us, pulling my hair and inadvertently kicking Rory in the stomach.

Later that night, after the family had gone to bed, Posy still insisting on sleeping with my mother, I snuck outside and sat on the front lawn of our home in Victor's Village. I looked across the street at the drunk Victor's house, lights burning brightly. He had returned to 12 an exile and shamed, but the residents put him back in his old house anyways once the Peacekeepers had left. A few members of the old Hob came by every now and again to check that he was still alive. I saw him regularly, clear glass bottle in his hand, stumbling through his house or sitting blankly on his front porch. I could see him now, however, on the telephone, waving his hands animatedly through the air as he shouted. I couldn't make out what he was saying across the distance between our houses, but it seemed like he was oddly arguing with whoever he was speaking to.

Tearing my attention away from him, I instead looked up at the stars that Cato had been so fond of while he was here. Was the view really that different in District 2 or the Capitol? What would the night sky look like there, I vaguely wondered. I knew that Rory was right; going to the Capitol would be the worst mistake I could commit right now. No doubt Coin would target my family and the citizens of District 12, regardless of her declaration to equalize living standards.

_Good-bye Katniss. My family needs me, and I have to stay for their sake. You of all people would understand._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Huge thanks to my very patient beta who helped me completely rework this chapter (I originally had a different outcome in mind) and also to shloh for her great idea of Coin offering Katniss and Cato to go back into the Games. They won't take it this time, but you never know in the future ;) . As always, I appreciate all the reviews/alerts/faves I've gotten so far and I love hearing back from my readers!

This chapter is dedicated to my amazing friend JSSSSDS (LB), who's helped me work out the intricacies of this story since its conception. Thanks for listening and your suggestions, even when you had no other choice :D


	18. Chapter 18: Katniss

**Katniss POV**

As I choked down a bowl of the lamb and plum stew, I wondered if Coin was trying to send me a message through the food.

_You're still mine, and will be until you leave the Capitol in a wooden box._

Was I just being paranoid? It couldn't be merely coincidence that my favorite Capitol food was what was sent to us after our meeting with Paylor. Had she been following us the whole time and now knew of the plot against her? Was this something staged by her to scramble with my mind before she killed me?

My thoughts refused to leave the conversation with Paylor. It all just seemed so convenient for me; the night that my death sentence was announced, there was another woman from District 13 who wanted me alive. When Paylor went back on her word, which I was almost certain that she eventually would sometime in the near future, who would step up next to protect me? What was it about me that attracted these types of people?

"Well it might be your sparkling personality for one," Cato suddenly stated, scooping up a spoonful of the rapidly cooling stew out of my bowl.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. Had he read my mind somehow?

"You asked a question; I answered it," he said slowly, staring at me like I had gone crazy.

I bashfully realized that I had asked my last speculation out loud, the space in my mind overflowing out of my mouth apparently.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Just have a lot on my mind."

"Can't imagine why," he stated sarcastically, reclining against the wall on the cot, hands behind his head. "Just relax Katniss. Our fate is out of our hands. Let's just enjoy our time together, what small amount we have left."

He said the last part carefully, staring into my eyes to remind me of Paylor's warning. Nodding, I set down the remainder of my meal, feeling nauseous. We had no assurance that Paylor would follow through with her offer, and for all I knew, we would indeed be executed in a couple of days. I had felt in control of my destiny as the judge read our sentence, and felt comfort and relief in its certainty. Now, I feared to hope that I would still live to see Prim married and have children. I no longer knew what to believe, and it had my stomach rolling.

"You done already?" Cato questioned, eyes narrowing at my mostly full bowl. "You barely ate anything at all."

"I'm just not feeling very well, Cato," I sighed, hoping that, if the Peacekeepers and Coin were watching, it would be taken in the sense that I was fearful of my impending execution. "Let's just let them take it away."

He removed a few of the rolls and put them onto the bedside table. He crossed the room and banged on the door, saying that we were done. The Peacekeeper rolled out the cart, closing the door with a clank.

I sat down on the floor, my back resting against the uncomfortable metal frame of our bed. I put my forehead on my knees and took a couple of deep breaths.

"What should we do now, Cato?" I whispered. "What do people do before they die?"

He sat next to me, his steady warmth and strength comforting. I slid sideways until I my head rested on his shoulder and I leaned against him. He shifted to sling and arm over my shoulder. We sat quietly for a bit; I reveled in the quiet times I got with him. I had spent a lot of time being intimidated by him in the past, and had been very surprised to realize that there was a real human being underneath his unbreakable veneer. I once had no compunction about being the sole reason for his death if it meant the life of a loved one, but I now regretted having ever involved him.

Maybe Peeta would have been better suited for this. I knew that he would have willingly given his life for mine; he had told me as much many times. He would have volunteered to switch places with Cato immediately if given the choice. It was unfair of me dragging Cato with me to his demise. If only I had chosen to do this alone, Cato could be laughing about how much trouble his arena partner had gotten into with his sister, sitting comfortably in his living room in District 2's Victor's Village.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I pressed my forehead against Cato's collarbone. Mentally shaking myself, I knew he would not want me to think this way; it was unproductive and would only make the remainder of our time together miserable. So lost in my own thoughts, I almost missed his quiet response.

"They live."

Gaping up at him, I pondered the simplicity in his words. We could truly be alive the next couple of days, knowing that there would be almost no consequences.

"Where was your favorite place in 12?" Cato asked.

"The forest," I answered without hesitation. "It's so peaceful there. You can sit under the base of a tree and just listen to the birds sing and the brook flow. Everything is a bright, crisp green in the spring and slivers of light escape the tree canopy above to warm your face. When the wind blows, the entire forest seems to sway in unison as if dancing. My favorite sound has always been the wind through the leaves; it's a distinct rustling that just sounds so soothing and safe."

I looked up when he didn't say anything in response, and saw that he had his eyes closed, head tilted back onto the mattress. A small smile lingered on his lips and he sighed, releasing his breath slowly.

"It sounds amazing," he murmured. "I can almost feel it and hear it from your description. What did it smell like?"

"Moist earth and fresh vegetation," I responded, also closing my eyes. "If I'm by a stream, the air almost tastes like the water. One time I met a bear; he stank."

We both shared a light laugh. The light disappeared shortly after, and we slowly felt our way into the cot. I had grown used to a kiss before we went to sleep, but the kiss we shared tonight felt different. I couldn't get enough of it, and my hands moved unbidden across his strong chest. I was startled to feel Cato's hand stop mine suddenly, his heavy breathing hot against my neck.

"What's wrong?" I asked apprehensively.

"Nothing," he answered, pressing his lips lightly on my shoulder. "I just don't want to do something I don't think you're ready for, Katniss."

Blushing and grateful for the darkness, I laid down next to him and felt his arms enclose me. Was I ready? I didn't want to die a virgin, but I didn't want to jump the gun either. Would I regret sleeping with Cato if Paylor did end up saving our lives? Would I regret not doing it more if she didn't?

That night, I dreamed of the woods surrounding District 12. Cato and Prim wandered with me, and I showed them the lake that I had always selfishly kept to myself. We rebuilt the cabin and we lived off the forest. Gale visited often and Peeta brought us bread. The sunshine flowed through the roof to light the room. I woke up with a smile on my face.

"Must have been a good dream," Cato muttered, blowing my hair away from his face.

"It was," I answered, still grinning. "We lived in the forest by the lake and we were all happy."

"You woke me up you know," he accused. "Twice, I woke up to the sound of you giggling like a maniac. I considered waking you, but I figured I'd get my revenge today."

"Really?" I drawled. "Exactly what were you planning?"

He rolled on top of me, trapping my hands above my head with one of his. With an evil smirk on his face that usually foretold death and pain, the bastard tickled me, not relenting until tears ran down my face and I managed to accidentally knee him in the crotch. Glancing down at him, I held my sides as the pain along my ribs increased from laughter but could not stop. His groaning and glares he shot me from the floor only fueled the fire. Banging on the door startled me long enough to stop my insane laughter.

"Quiet down in there!" a stern male voice yelled, muffled by the thickness of the metal door. "You're in prison not an amusement park."

Snorting, I jumped off the bed and crouched down next to Cato.

"You ok there?" I asked slowly, still trying to catch my breath.

"I've had worse," he grunted, slowly sitting upright. "You suck."

Raising an eyebrow at him, he just pulled my hair and rose as a Peacekeeper appeared with our breakfast tray. Sneering at Cato, he left the tray on the floor by the door, muttering something that I couldn't hear. Cato lunged at him just as our guard slid out the door, his fists banging against the metal.

"Cato?" I questioned.

Turning his back to me, he picked up the tray and set it down on the small table. He handed me a bowl of fruit and spooned some eggs and sausages onto a plate, taking his own food to the opposite end of the room. He was silent the rest of the day, shaking off all attempts at conversation. Finally tired of being ignored, I settled onto the bed and tried to nap. What did that Peacekeeper say to him to upset him so much?

I looked forward to our dinner with Peeta and Prim that evening after spending the day with a sullen Cato. We were given a quick shower and Capitol clothing before being loaded into the car again. It stopped outside of Peeta's house and I got out, pausing when the driver stopped Cato from leaving.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"His own family and friends are waiting for him," the Peacekeeper replied. "Their train was delayed yesterday, which is why Coin approved this second arrangement for tonight. You didn't think you were the only one allowed to say final goodbyes did you?"

Closing the door in my face, the car was waved forward by the rude man. My escort pulled on my arm and pointed at the door, where Peeta and Prim stood waiting for me. Tears pooling in my eyes, I ran up the stairs and grabbed them both into a tight hug. Prim immediately broke down in tears, creating a cool, wet patch on my shirt while Peeta simply buried his face into my neck. Shushing them, I quickly directed them inside, not wanting to make them suspicious. If they seemed too emotional, it wouldn't look like I had just seen them yesterday. The Peacekeeper followed us, locking the door behind her.

"You have exactly 45 minutes," she stated authoritatively.

Nodding, I led them into the kitchen, where the aroma of sizzling meat and baked bread greeted me. Mouth watering, I helped them serve the meal and we sat down at Peeta's wood table. Nervously, I jerked my head toward our guard, mouthing 'act natural' before asking Prim how the project she had shown me yesterday had been graded.

"Oh it was great!" she chirped, giggling anxiously. "My teachers all loved it."

"How has your day been so far?" Peeta asked me carefully, reaching across the table to grab my hand.

Squeezing it, I smiled.

"Not too bad," I replied. "The food isn't great compared to what you normally make. I really missed your bread."

My eyes told him what my voice could not. I missed him, and I was incredibly grateful for everything he had done and was doing for me.

Our conversation was strained, painfully aware that every word would probably be transmitted back to Coin. Prim told me about her classroom under the guise that she had forgotten details that she didn't mention last night. After we finished dinner, I helped them wash the dishes. The running water helped to mask our words as we whispered.

"Are you really ok?" Peeta muttered urgently. "They're not doing anything weird to you?"

"Nothing unexpected," I answered. "We're locked up and watched 24 hours a day, but we're well fed."

"I can't believe Cato was stupid enough to attempt a rescue," he spat bitterly. "I can't believe I didn't think of it before him."

"Don't say that," I hissed. "You are needed to take care of Prim. You promised Cato that you'd look after her; now promise me. Promise me that you will never leave her alone and you will keep her happy and healthy."

"You know I will Katniss," he promised. "She'll never want for anything."

I met Prim's eyes, which had started tearing up again. I dried my hands on a towel and drew her into a crushing hug. This might be the last time that I saw her, and I looked down at her face, trying to memorize every detail, noticing with a small laugh that her shirt tail was for once neatly tucked in.

"Time to go," the Peacekeeper announced, stepping into the kitchen.

"No!" Prim screamed, clinging to me. "Don't take her. Please!"

"Prim, look at me," I ordered, tapping her chin until her eyes met mine. "This isn't goodbye. I will see you again, one way or another. You can still talk to me, and I'll answer. Just think of me really hard, and you'll find me. I will never leave you, as long as you remember me. Promise me that you'll always remember."

"Of course, Katniss," she cried. "I'll never forget you. How could I?"

I gave her one last, hard hug, Peeta coming up behind me and wrapping us in his arms. I turned my head and planted a hard kiss on his cheek, already wet with his own tears.

"I'm sorry, Katniss," he whispered into my ear, giving me one last squeeze.

Shaking my head, I released Prim and kissed her forehead and each of her cheeks. I gave them one final smile before following the Peacekeeper out of Peeta's door and into the waiting car. It was empty, and the car continued down the street and stopped at a house a few doors down. Cato was waiting on the front steps, his sister sitting next to him, clutching his arm and head on his shoulder. He gave her a quick hug before opening the car door himself, sliding in next to me with a small grin. He wiped away stray tears on my face before kissing my cheek.

"Are we ok?" I asked, uncertain.

"We've always been ok," he answered, throwing his arm over my shoulders. "I shouldn't have let that jerk's words get to me. I'm sorry if I acted like a brat."

"What did he say?" I wondered.

He leaned close to me, breath tickling my ear.

"_Thanks for the amazing show last night._"

I suddenly felt cold and goosebumps rose on my arms. How could I not have realized then that everything would be watched and recorded? How could I have even contemplated sleeping with Cato with a dozen Peacekeepers' eyes glued to the screen?

"Don't let them get to you, Katniss," he murmured soothingly. "Don't let them change you."

I flashed back to Peeta, the night before we were to enter the arena for the first time.

"_I don't want them to change me in there…I keep wishing I could think of a way to show the Capitol that they don't own me."_

It still disturbed me how closely we were being watched, but he was right. It was our last day, and if we were to die, I wanted to do so not regretting anything. I could not, however, bring myself to be with Cato so intimately when privacy was the last thing we could be granted.

I fell asleep that night facing him, our breath mingling and our legs entwined. We were awoken early the next morning by a stream of Peacekeepers.

"Wake up lovebirds," the head guard yelled gleefully. "Coin has ordered us to make you pretty for your execution."

They separated us, Cato and I sharing a determined nod before I was directed into the bathroom. A deflated and tearful prep team greeted me; devoid of their usual pomp and bounce, they flatly scrubbed me clean and applied lotion. Flavius, braiding my hair into what he called my trademark hairstyle, lifted me up from my chair and pulled me into his arms, squeezing the breath out of me. Whispering a shaky goodbye, he fled the bathroom, sobbing loudly. Taking a shaky breath, Octavia managed to finish prepping my nails before she started trembling uncontrollably. She also hugged me before rushing out of the room. I looked at Venia curiously in the mirror. Her lip was trembling, but she had not shed any tears. I had underestimated her, and I put a hand over hers, which was fussing with which color of lip gloss would go best with the outfit Cinna had planned for me.

"Just the clear gloss I think would be best, Venia," I suggested.

Smiling softly, Venia gave a determined nod and finished my makeup. She then told me to return to my cell, choking slightly on the word, where Cinna would meet me with my clothing. I almost ran back at the prospect of seeing my stylist. He immediately opened his arms to me when the door was opened, and I rushed into them, craving the strength and peace that he always radiated. Cato exited the room soundlessly.

"If you're going out, Girl on Fire, you're going out in an inferno," he said, holding up a shimmering dress.

"It's amazing, Cinna," I whispered, awed.

"You'll take a little piece of me with you," he replied, a wry smile playing on his lips.

"Make my sister's wedding dress?" I challenged him.

"I'd be honored," he replied honestly.

Smiling, I allowed him to help me step into it. Adjusting minor details and some of my makeup, he sighed as he looked me over.

"The brightest burning fire fades the fastest," he said sadly.

"But draws the most attention and lingers in the mind," I replied, pulling him into a careful hug. "Help Prim remember me, and not just in the way the Capitol prefers."

Cinna nodded, kissing me lightly on the forehead. He sat with me, allowing my grip to slowly cut off the blood in his hands, until Cato returned to the room, dressed in a fitted button down and black pants.

"Looks like they want us going down in style," he said with a cocky smile. "You look ready to start a new rebellion."

Turning up one corner of my mouth, I fervently prayed that Paylor would come through. I had prepared myself fully for my execution today, but I could not rid myself of that hope that I would still be alive to see the sunset no matter how hard I tried.

"I never expected to like you," Cinna stated suddenly. Startled, I looked toward him and noticed that he had his eyes fixed intently on Cato. "When I first met you, as cocky and arrogant as you were, I had half a mind to line your suit jacket with itching powder. I'm glad that I was wrong."

Scoffing, Cato shook his hand as Peacekeepers entered the room to escort Cinna and his prep team back to their vehicles. Cinna tapped me under my chin, a reminder to, as always, keep my head up and proud, and strode out of the room. I took several deep breaths when the door closed, sitting down hard on the thin mattress.

"Careful Fire Girl," Cato murmured, kneeling in front of me. "Wouldn't want to wrinkle your new dress now would we?"

"I'm so sorry Cato-" I started before he clamped a warm hand over my mouth.

"Don't you start that again, Katniss," he warned, a slight edge on his voice I hadn't heard since the arena. "This was my choice too"

"If I had just kept my mouth shut about the Games-"

"Then you wouldn't have been yourself," he finished. "You would have let the Capitol change who you were; and nothing about you needs any change."

His kiss was warm and solid. I felt all doubts melt away and, at that moment, I only knew his hands on my neck, his breath on my cheek. He rested his forehead against mine, and we stayed like that for several minutes until interrupted by a knock on the door.

Confused, since the Peacekeepers never bothered to knock before, we stood as the metal door swung open. The same four Peacekeepers who had escorted us to our meeting with Paylor strode in, one giving us a small wink when his back was to the camera. Relief flooded me; she had done it. Cato and I were safe. Resisting the urge to smile, I nodded when they said it was time to go.

Once we were secured in the car, the one sitting between Cato and I gave us our instructions.

"You are supposed to be surprised so I'm not going to inform you exactly what's going to happen. Just know that the two of you are not going to die anytime soon. If Coin tries to retaliate, the four of us are your personal bodyguards."

"Look after Katniss," Cato interrupted. "I can handle myself."

"We have our orders, boy," the Peacekeeper snorted. "And we'll do exactly as we're told. That includes making sure that no harm comes to you either."

Looking amused at Cato's indignant expression, he continued.

"The majority of the Peacekeepers there will not be informed of what's going to happen, but the few that are will be on hand to keep an eye on Coin, Peeta Mellark, and your sisters. They've been personally invited to sit with Coin apparently."

My hatred for Coin grew when I heard that Prim would be required to be present to watch me be shot. The woman really had no mercy but seemed to be made up of pure ambition and insanity. I was glad to hear, however, that there would be guards on hand to protect Peeta and Prim should Coin react.

I glanced across our escort toward Cato, and noticed how tightly his jaw and fists were clenched. I reached my arm across the back of the seat and squeezed his shoulder, smiling reassuringly when he turned his glare to me.

"She'll get what's coming to her, Cato," I said. "We'll be there to witness it."

He gave me a swift nod and turned his gaze to his window. The rest of the ride to the Courthouse was silent. When the car ground to a halt, a waiting Peacekeeper grabbed my arm and hauled me out of the car. The Peacekeeper between us in the car stopped him, gesturing to the others in the car with us and saying that they would be the ones to escort us into the execution chamber. Cato stepped up beside me, his face a blank mask but I could see the anger in his eyes. I slipped my hand into his, entwining our fingers and giving it a squeeze. We walked hand in hand into the marble building, two Peacekeepers in front of us and two behind.

As we approached them, two guards pulled open twin golden doors, each carved with Panem's seal, to reveal a stark room. It had a circular cement platform in the center, slightly raised and a short distance away from the small seating area where Coin, Prim, Peeta, Cato's family, and a pair of Peacekeepers were waiting for us. Hearing Prim call out for me, I turned my eyes toward her, smiling at her and shaking my head. Peeta, sitting next to her, drew her closer to him and she cried into this shoulder. I felt extremely guilty not having told them of Paylor's plan beforehand, but I couldn't risk it.

We were led onto the cement platform, wide enough to fit four people shoulder to shoulder, and turned to face Coin.

"Katniss. Cato. It saddens me to see you before me in a manner such as this. I had once valued you as allies, but it seems that you preferred defiance rather than reason. I gave you the option of either certain death this morning or the possibility of life in the arena. Have you made a decision?"

Looking up at Cato, he gave me a slight nod.

"Yes President Coin," I answered clearly. "We would rather die today than be forced back into the arena for your madness."

Coin's face distorted before resuming its usual smoothness.

"Very well," she stated. "Peacekeepers, take your places."

Six Peacekeepers, their faces hidden behind dark helmets, marched in place in front of us, each brandishing a black rifle. I felt mild alarm that Paylor wasn't here yet. Was she planning for a dramatic entrance? Scanning the room, I couldn't even find the four Peacekeepers that escorted us from Snow's mansion.

"Ready your weapons!" Coin ordered. Each rifle clicked in unison as the Peacekeepers brought them up together.

My alarm grew. Where was she? This was certainly cutting it close.

"Take aim!"

My breathing grew shallow and I began to panic. She had betrayed us. She must have been in league with Coin all along, and it was just another sick joke. I felt Cato clutch my hand, his grasp painful. I turned my wide eyes to him, and saw the unease in his eyes as well. I couldn't believe what a fool I had been, once again laying my trust and my life before someone else. I hoped that, at least, Prim would learn to take charge of her own life. It hit me suddenly, like a sword through my gut, that Prim would now be considered a Capitol citizen, and therefore eligible for the Capitol Hunger Games. I then turned my panicked eyes to Peeta. He couldn't volunteer for her; he wouldn't be able to save her. I should have returned her to District 12, I should have kept her there, I-

"Fire!"

A single gunshot echoed through the chamber, followed by the golden doors banging open. Staggering backward, the only thing that kept me upright was Cato's hard grasp on my shoulder. Shouting and sounds of a struggle surrounded me, but I focused on my body, which was surprisingly devoid of holes or blood. I hadn't been shot; _we _hadn't been shot. Where had the gunshot come from then? Activity raged around us and I didn't know where to look, but a second gunshot focused my attention on the seating area.

The room erupted in screams once more, but I stood frozen, unable to tear my eyes away from the rapidly blossoming stains on Peeta's shirt. He turned to me, blue eyes widening. He held a gun in his hand, which he dropped as he collapsed onto the ground.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thank you everyone for all the reviews! As always, please feel free to leave a note if you liked it.


	19. Chapter 19: Katniss

**Peeta POV**

"_Peackeepers take your places."_

I laid a hand over the small revolver in my pocket, nerves rumbling through my stomach. I had almost expected the Peacekeepers at the entrance to the Courthouse to stop and check our pockets when we first arrived, but they had simply shown us to this dismal chamber, pushing Prim and I into our seats. My hands shook, so I pressed them against my legs. I could not have Coin, sitting so closely to me, suspect a thing.

"_Ready your weapons!"_

I shifted slightly in my chair, slipping the gun out of my pants and cradling it in my hand. The cool metal slipped somewhat in my sweaty hand and I rested it against my thigh. The room grew hot, and I could feel beads of sweat on my forehead. Prim sniffled lightly beside me.

"_Take aim!"_

I saw Katniss' eyes widen in panic, confusing me. Was she expecting some other result from her own execution? I leaned forward so that my hands were hidden underneath the table, muffling the sound of the gun cocking.

"_Fire!"_

I shot out of my chair, vaguely registering it hitting the concrete floor with a clatter, brought the gun up to Coin's still unsuspecting head, and pulled the trigger. The recoil caught me unawares, and I staggered backward into one of her guards. He tried to wrestle the gun away from me, but I overpowered him and a blow across the temple with the butt of the gun knocked him out. The other guard rushed at me, catching me off guard, and making the gun fire again.

The second shot caught me high up in the chest, and I staggered backward, stunned. My eyes met Katniss' for a moment before I was falling.

**Katniss POV**

As I watched Peeta collapse to the ground, Prim screaming his name, it felt as if I was trapped in one of my nightmares; I longed to wake up, tangled in Cato's warm arms. Shaking myself out of my delusion, I lunged toward them only to have several pairs of hands pull me back. Struggling and shouting for them to release me, I saw Peeta grow smaller as they dragged me backwards. Frantically looking for Cato, I realized that he had managed to fight his way to Peeta, and was currently hovering over him, speaking to him softly. The last thing I saw before I the golden doors were closed behind me was Prim's frightened face calling for me.

The corridor outside the execution chamber was frantic, Peacekeepers shouting orders and pushing civilians out of the building. We slipped out the front door without notice, and my escorts shoved me, face first, into a waiting car which immediately took off. I had landed awkwardly, and as I righted myself and managed to find a seat, I discovered myself shoulder to shoulder with Paylor.

"What was that all about?" I shouted angrily. "Why did Peeta have a gun? Why did you wait so long before making a move? Was Peeta shot? What is going on?"

I grew increasingly frantic and by the time I had reached the end of my questions, I was hyperventilating. The Peacekeeper sitting next to me clamped his hand over my mouth, instructing me to breath out of my nose. This also prevented me from speaking, and Paylor took advantage of her opportunity.

"Katniss, I realize that you're upset with me, but our plans took longer than anticipated," she explained. "I'll tell you all that we know right now. Coin is dead. It looks like Peeta somehow managed to sneak a gun into the execution chamber and shot Coin through the head just as she gave the order to have you executed. There was a struggle between her Peacekeepers and Peeta, and he was somehow shot in that time. An ambulance has already been called, and I'm working to have a back-story for him that will exonerate him from any crimes for assassinating Coin."

"Why did you just leave him there?" I demanded, pushing the Peacekeeper's hand away from my face. "We could have taken him to the hospital and been there already."

"My top priority right now is you," Paylor stated simply. "I need to keep you alive, or we'll have no chance of keeping control of Panem."

"So that's really all you people care about?" I stated angrily. "I knew it. What will happen to Prim, Cato, and his family?"

"We tried to get Cato out of there, in fact, he should be here with you," the Peacekeeper next to me frowned. He then turned to Paylor. "I'm sorry Commander, but he was too much for us."

"Don't worry about it, soldier," she waved his apology away. "Someone like that is more liable to kill than listen to reason in that situation. You did what you had to do. To answer your question, Katniss, Prim and Cato will be meeting you at a safe house just outside the Capitol that we have prepared. I will personally keep you updated on Peeta's status. I just want to warn you, however, that chest wounds can be tricky and we don't know if the bullet pierced any internal organs. He could be just fine or he might never leave that hospital alive. I just want you to be prepared for all possibilities."

Nodding numbly, I wished that Cato was beside me in the car, being driven to an unknown location. I never realized how much I leaned on his strength to help me through crises like this. It struck me as odd that I had only known him for less than a month. Our situation would have been comical if it wasn't tragic how quickly we had to switch from mutual dislike to unflappable trust in order to stay alive.

"If any harm comes to Prim or Cato, you'll share Coin's fate," I vowed.

The Peacekeepers in the car noticeably tensed, but, to my surprise, Paylor let out a bark of laughter.

"We have a deal, Katniss," she assured me. "Without Cato, the plan is ultimately shot anyways, and we're all as good as dead."

The car pulled up almost an hour later to a rather decadent, two storied log cabin hidden among the dense trees in the mountains surrounding the Capitol. When waiting Peacekeepers opened the doors for us to exit the car, the scent of living trees and the sound of the wind through their leaves greeted me like a long lost friend. I jumped out and simply stood with my eyes closed, savoring being in nature again.

"Should I show you to your room here, Katniss?" Paylor asked, interrupting my brief period of calm.

Shaking my head, I asked her if I could go for a walk to clear my head. I saw their hesitation, and promised that I would be back in under an hour. She handed me a black device, saying that Cato, his family, and Prim were also on their way here, and that she would call me on the handheld transceiver when they arrived.

"The signal has a radius of about a mile, so don't go too far from the cabin," she warned. "If you get lost out here, it'll be almost impossible to find you."

Nodding, I took the transceiver and moved to clip it to my pants, when I realized that I was still wearing Cinna's dress and heels. It was wrinkled and stained with sweat and fingerprints.

"Do you want to change first?" Paylor inquired, noticing where my attention was directed.

"No," I sighed. "The dress is already ruined. If nothing else, it'll prevent me from staying out too long."

I set off slowly away from the house, my heels sinking into the moist earth. I hoped Cinna wouldn't be too disappointed, but he probably didn't expect to have the dress returned to him knowing what was supposed to happen today. When I was out of sight of the cabin, I found a tree with large, sturdy branches and, glancing around to make sure I was alone, kicked off my heels and bunched my dress around my waist, climbing slowly. When I could no longer see the ground through the leaves, I settled myself down in a large fork and enjoyed the light breeze. The air was cool in the mountains and sweetly scented from the pine trees around me. I closed my eyes and, for the first time in months, felt entirely at peace, allowing myself to forget about the politics of the Capitol and manipulations of ambitious adults.

I was jolted out of the tree when the radio squawked, Paylor's voice shouting frantically at me. I managed to grab onto a branch before I hit the ground, a searing pain jolting through my shoulder. Cursing, I jumped the rest of the way down, grimacing when I realized I had dislocated my shoulder.

"Katniss! Are you alright? Speak into the walkie-talkie now or we're sending a search party after you!"

Searching the device, I located a button labeled 'talk' and, pressing it, yelled into the tranciever.

"I'm fine! I just fell asleep in a tree. What's going on?"

"Don't do that Katniss," Paylor warned, clearly relieved. "The woods surrounding the area are secured, but there are still wild animals out there. We need you to come back immediately. Can you find your way?"

"Yes, I can," I spoke into the device. "I'll be back in about 10 minutes."

I quickly found my shoes and traipsed back toward the cabin, my right shoulder twinging every time I stumbled over a rock in my heels. When I could just make out the house from between the trees, two Peacekeepers approached me.

"Katniss, there you are," one said. I recognized her from earlier in the day; she was the one who drove the car to the Courthouse. "Cato and Prim have arrived and are waiting for you in the dining room. Do you want to get cleaned up first?"

She looked me up and down, and I realized embarrassedly that I had needles sticking in my hair and my dress was smudged with dirt and sap. As I moved my hands up to smooth down my hair, my shoulder chose to remind me that it was still dislocated. Crying out and grabbing at it, I was driven to my knees by the pain radiating from my injury.

"What did you do?" she asked me, worried and rushing to my side.

"I fell out of the tree and I think I dislocated my shoulder on my way down," I ground out painfully.

"Well that's an easy fix," she assured me. Turning to her partner, she instructed him to hold me still as she poked at the joint gently.

"What are you going to do?" I asked her warily, as she grasped my arm and held it flush against my side.

"Popping it back in," she replied. "It's going to hurt a bit but once I do-"

She slowly rotated my shoulder and I felt the bone slide back in, relief immediately flooding my body after the initial sting wore off.

"You'll feel much better," she finished with a smile. "We'll need to find a sling for you and you'll need to go easy on that arm for a week or so. You also probably should get a doctor to take a look at it for you. We do have some soldiers with experience in medicine here."

"How many people do have here?" I asked curiously.

"Less than a dozen," she replied. "We had to keep the numbers small to avoid detection but we've been here for almost 4 years. Coin herself was the one who had this cabin commissioned; I believe Snow allowed it when she said it was a vacation home. But let's get going. Commander Paylor is waiting for you as well to update you on the current situation."

"It'll be nice to be in the know for once with her," I mumbled. She merely snorted as we entered the cabin.

"Your room is up the stairs, first door on your right," she whispered, winking. "I'll let them know you're back and freshening up."

Smiling my thanks, I quickly showered, wanting to linger in the soothing hot water but realizing that the longer I delayed, the longer my answers would wait. I dressed in clothes I found in the dresser of my room, reverently hanging Cinna's ruined dress across the foot of my bed. Taking the stairs two by two down, I followed the sound of Cato's deep rumble and Prim's bright chirp toward the dining room. Immediately when I entered, I was pulled several different ways by people hugging and shouting at me. I finally was deposited in a chair beside Prim, Cato sitting across from me. I noticed that Prim's hair was mussed but that she was unharmed other than that. Cato, on the other hand, had a face full of bruises and white bandages were wrapped around most of his right lower arm.

"Thank you for joining us, Katniss," Paylor began, drawing my attention back to her. "Once again I must ask you all not to ask questions until I am done."

At our nods, she continued. "First off, I'm sure you're all concerned about Peeta Mellark. I'm pleased to report that doctors have given him a good prognosis, and he should be expected to make a full recovery. From what we can gather at this time, he was so furious with Coin about your situation, he contacted his old mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, to strategize a means to assassinate Coin. Mr. Abernathy then attempted to dissuade him. Upon seeing that Peeta was determined to do this, however, he informed Peeta of a black market of sorts where he could get small arms. Apparently Mr. Abernathy used it himself for some of the more potent spirits."

Paylor paused briefly to roll her eyes. "Peeta snuck the gun in with him at the Courthouse and put a bullet through Coin's skull just as we arrived. The six Executioners were given rifles designed to jam when the trigger was pulled, so your lives were never in any danger. Obviously, we had not planned on taking so long before rescuing the two of you, but delays can happen. I'm honestly sorry about Peeta, Katniss, but he can still be expected to live a full life on one lung."

I sighed, nodding, and asked, "When can we go see him?"

"_You_," Paylor replied, stressing that word, "may go see him probably in a couple of days when he recovers more from surgery. The hospital he was taken to contains District 13 doctors, and we made sure that he was taken care of by people sympathetic to our cause. No harm will come to him."

Accepting her words but still frustrated, I turned my attention back to the most pressing matter.

"What will happen now?" I demanded. "Coin is dead, but by Peeta's hand. That can't have been in your original plans, even if you did mean to kill her."

"Ahh yes, Peeta has thrown quite the wrench in our plans," Paylor admitted. "We agreed that the best way to pull that off would be to still play your 'star crossed lovers' story. Peeta was so out of his mind in love with you that the only way he thought he could avenge your death was by killing Coin."

"But Peeta and I aren't seeing each other anymore," I stated blankly. "Even the Capitol has to realize this after the Victory Tour and even during the Games."

"But _he's_ never said anything about being out of love with you, Katniss," Paylor reminded me gently. "Honestly do you really think Peeta's gotten over you so quickly?"

Sinking down in my chair, I realized how selfish I had been. Of course Peeta was still hurting over my rejection, and here I was trying to force Cato and him to be friends. Peeta, being who he was, would naturally be friendly and polite, but he had to be dying on the inside. Even for me, the insanity by love story was plausible.

"What's your plan for us in the future?" I heard Cato ask, drawing me out of my miserable bubble.

"We're putting together a segment revealing Coin's crimes against Snow and her parents," Paylor replied. "It will be shown with the evening news, and will also be the launching platform for my campaign for President. The potential candidates have been given 3 days to make their interest in the Presidency known, and then those candidates will campaign through the Districts and the Capitol itself until the election. One good thing that Coin did before she died was add District 13 back into Panem, so they'll have a vote as well."

"Do you expect to be elected?" Cato questioned, sounding almost skeptical.

"Yes," Paylor replied without hesitation. "You don't know this, but people in the Capitol already know me. Coin named me Director of Peacekeepers when Snow died, and I've managed to lower the crime rate throughout the districts and in the Capitol in just a few short weeks without resorting to brute force. It was also how I was able to manipulate the guards that were watching you without Coin hearing about it."

"There's crime in the Capitol?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes, Katniss," Paylor answered condescendingly. "Regardless of what you might think, not everybody in the Capitol is automatically wealthy. Someone has to clean up for the rich folk, do their laundry, and other menial jobs. You've just come into contact with the richer ones because they're the ones that are able to afford attending Opening Ceremonies or Sponsor's events every year. While not as high as the rates I've read about in the poorer districts, it can still get pretty rough out there."

"The Avoxes?" I questioned.

"There aren't enough Avoxes to keep even the _Training Center_ running smoothly," Paylor said. "Snow just liked to put them into view of the tributes to help keep you guys in line. All in all, there are less than a few dozen."

Prim, who had been suppressing a yawn since we had first sat down, finally couldn't fight her sleepiness anymore.

"Why don't we take a break," I suggested. "Let me take Prim upstairs for a nap. She looks too pale and skinny."

"That sounds fine," Paylor replied. "Dinner will be served at 6, and we'll continue our conversation there. If any of you wish to leave the cabin, I only ask that you tell one of our Peacekeepers and take a walkie just in case something happens."

Nodding our agreement, Cato and I both stood.

"Can you get her?" I asked Cato, motioning toward Prim, who already was resting her head on the table. "I dislocated my shoulder."

"How did you manage that?" he snorted, scooping Prim up effortlessly.

"Not telling," I growled, stomping out of the room with my cheeks burning.

As I reached the stairs, the Peacekeeper who met me on the way back to the cabin earlier held out a makeshift sling. Thanking her, I slipped it over my head and under my right arm. Ignoring Cato's sneer, I followed him to Prim's room. The wood paneled walls added a rustic touch to what was otherwise a richly furnished room. The comforter on her bed was plush and silky as were the sheets. She had a golden vanity with a cushiony white stool in front of it. I crossed the spacious room to her dresser, which contained minimal clothing, but would get her through several days.

"They were really prepared for us," Cato murmured, depositing Prim gently onto the bed and tucking her in with the blanket. "My room is similar to this in layout, but in blue instead of pink. All the clothes in the dresser fit well too."

"Mine was furnished in yellow," I remembered. I had been in such a rush to see Prim and Cato again that I hadn't bothered to take inventory of my room. "Not my favorite color but I'm glad they didn't give me the pink room."

I brushed back Prim's hair, grateful that she was alive and unharmed. Planting a solid kiss on her forehead, I backed out of the room hesitantly.

"I wonder where they keep all those Peacekeepers," Cato mused as we walked out, closing the wooden door softly behind us. "There must be only a few more rooms like this."

"Maybe they have something underground for them," I shrugged. "I'm sure that Snow had this place under surveillance even if it was Coin's. Let's go for a walk."

Nodding, he led the way out of the cabin. We accepted the walkie-talkie from the Peacekeeper at the door and circled around to the back of the cabin. We strolled silently hand in hand; I, again, reveled in the temporary freedom.

"Why did you leave me back there?" I asked quietly, hesitant to break the silence of the woods.

"I saw Peeta struggling with that Peacekeeper and I couldn't leave him," he sighed. "I wrestled the guy off of him, but I didn't get there until after he was shot. Paylor's Peacekeepers tried to drag me backward, but I fought them off. I'd like to think that he'd do the same for me." He winked.

"Was it cruel of me to try to force the two of you to get along?" I questioned, undeterred.

"Maybe for him," he replied honestly. "He told me that he was having a hard time getting over you, but I've never heard an insult or even anything unkind from him."

"Haymitch always said that I never deserved him," I mumbled, turning my head a mockingjay perched on a nearby tree. Humming a few random notes, I grinned when it returned the tune.

"Maybe you didn't," Cato shrugged as I glared at him. "But maybe that's why we met."

I punched him in the gut and stalked away from him, rubbing my knuckles. I couldn't help the small grin that crept on my face when his deep laughter followed through the trees. I broke into a run, shrieking when I heard Cato's heavy footsteps giving chase. He caught up with me effortlessly, tackling me to the soft ground and rolling us. His skin smelled like pine when he lowered his head for a kiss. We spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging under the base of a tree. I taught him about some edible plants that could probably be found in the forest and he asked me about my first round in the arena. We were called for dinner when the sun cast long shadows on the ground.

The broadcast Paylor had set up was shocking to say the least. It was shown at 8, and we had gathered around the living room to watch the full showing. Even being aware of some of Coin's crimes, seeing them played out on screen through hidden video and security camera footage was unnerving. Cato's solid presence and warm hand on my thigh did nothing to ease the chill that had taken over me. I had allied myself with this person; this person that had understated her role in the torture of her parents and countless other innocents; even seeing Snow's last days, withered and covered in sores, almost had me pitying the man. To close, Paylor herself appeared on screen, making a planned speech about moving forward and past the real traitor to this country.

"As Director of Panem's Peacekeepers, I officially exonerate Cato and Katniss for their false crimes that Coin had them unfortunately convicted for," she said solemnly, eyes piercing the camera. "As compensation for their emotional distress and physical confinement, I will grant them one request each, which will be fulfilled by me personally, assuming it is physically possible."

Astounded, I turned to Paylor who was sitting on a chair beside me.

"You're serious about that?" I demanded.

"Absolutely, Katniss," she responded. "After all you've been through from people in control, I feel that we owe you that much. Anything you want, as long as it won't bankrupt the country."

"How long do I have to make this demand?" I asked curiously.

"Right now if you wish," she shrugged. "Or it can be on your deathbed, assuming you both die before me."

As I met Cato's eyes, a slow, evil grin crossed his face, which quickly dropped with a flick of my index finger into his Adam's apple.

The phone ringing interrupted us, and Paylor was quickly called to take it. Forehead furrowed, she stood and strode out of the room. I became worried; I'd never seen Paylor flustered before. I took Cato's hand, as tense as mine, and we waited in silence. The muted television showed two painted news reporters, speaking excitedly at their audience. Without their voices, they looked like cartoons of real humans.

A Peacekeeper I had not met before walked into the room a few minutes later.

"Commander Paylor will be busy the rest of the night and sends her apologies for leaving so abruptly," he stated stiffly. "The Commander wished me to tell you that you have full run of the house and the grounds until further plans can be developed. She also advises you that it would be wise to head to bed due to the late hour."

We spent several pleasant nights in the cabin and wandered the woods during the day. Prim was excited to find some herbs that she was familiar with and even more thrilled when a doctor showed her some new ones. She took several samples to bring back to District 12, saying that it would be useful for some of the common ailments with the miners. Thinking of District 12 made me nervous, but I was almost as eager as Prim to return. I had been allowed to call Haymitch, and was relieved to hear that the residents in 12 hadn't abandoned him.

We had just sat down for breakfast one morning when the phone rang. Paylor was often called away during meals to answer the numerous calls, so I was unconcerned when she left. Refilling my cup of hot chocolate, I jumped when Paylor burst back into the room, door slamming against the wall, and sloshed the steaming liquid onto the tablecloth.

"He's awake!" she announced breathlessly, grinning widely. "Peeta's awake and he's asking for you."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Hopefully this chapter explained some of the events of the last one. I know the ending was confusing, but I purposely tried to write it that way ;). Thank you for everyone that reviewed/story alerted/favorited! They are all appreciated and help to motivate.


	20. Chapter 20: Katniss

**Katniss POV**

"He's awake," I whispered, unbelieving. I knew that he was going to be fine, the doctors at the hospital kept Paylor who, in turn, kept us well informed of his progress; but I refused to believe it until I saw him with my own eyes. "When can we see him?"

"After lunch," Paylor replied. "I have to warn you, though, there's quite the crowd outside of the hospital. Apparently a few Capitol citizens started camping outside the hospital grounds immediately after Peeta arrived to show their support for him, and it's grown to several hundred people since our broadcast aired. They've lit candles every night and I believe one of the more popular bands here composed a song dedicated to his bravery in taking down the evil President.

"I'm having Cinna and his prep team come and make you presentable for the cameras. I'll escort you guys myself. I think this should be a great photo opportunity and I'd appreciate it if you'd say a few words on my behalf if questioned."

"After all we've been through, I don't think I'd be against it," I answered, winking in a fit of uncharacteristic glee.

After informing us that Cinna would be arriving within the hour, I wolfed down the rest of my breakfast and sprinted to the front door. I sat down under a large pine near the road, determined to greet my brave designer who had seen me through death several times. Cato joined me several minutes later, silently sitting under the tree beside me.

"Paylor told us that all of us are going to get to go, so we're all going to be prettied up," Cato mumbled.

"Well I don't know if you've looked in the mirror lately, but you could use it," I retorted.

He responded by tackling me to the ground, rolling us through the dirt and mud until we both resembled and smelled like black bears. Punching him off of me, I ran toward the car that had pulled up, throwing my arms around Cinna. Laughing, he feigned anger at my condition and the amount of mud and leaves smeared across his previously immaculate suit.

"What have you been subjected to here?" he asked, wrinkling his nose. "Is this how mountain folk live?"

"I assure you Cinna this is not our doing," Paylor replied dryly. She stepped forward and shook his hand firmly. "We have full showers in each of their rooms, where I suggest you send them immediately if we are to keep to our schedule."

Nodding, Cinna directed one stylist to me, Cato, and Prim each. Octavia, almost afraid to touch me due to the filth encrusting my skin and clothing, sharply marched me up the stairs and ordered me to strip into the shower. She let the water run over my skin for several minutes before finally taking over and scrubbing me clean, the entire time glaring at my mirth. Muttering about improper hygiene when nobody is around to tell me what to do, she quickly waxed unnecessary hair off my body, a procedure that seemed somewhat more painful than I last remembered. After yanking out the tangles in my hair and pulling it into a braid that made my scalp hurt, she dressed me in a flowing green dress, brown accents woven through the fabric to imitate branches. Cinna knew me well.

I skipped down the stairs and joined Cato on the couch in the living room, sitting on my hands to prevent me from biting on my nails. He put a firm hand on my rapidly bouncing leg, glaring at me with an eyebrow raised. Rolling my eyes, I forced myself to sit still. Prim came bounding down the steps a few minutes later, and I stood, stunned. I had never seen her so radiant. Her blonde hair had been brushed and conditioned to liquid sunshine and the blue dress Cinna had designed for her made her look like a warm summer day. Smiling, I ran up and gave her a tight hug.

"Katniss," she muttered. "Can't…breathe…"

"Let's get going before you choke your sister, Katniss," Paylor's voice broke through my reverie. "The hovercraft should be waiting for us outside soon and we have a tight schedule. The plan is to arrive on the roof of the hospital in 20 minutes. We'll go inside and I've allowed for about an hour with Peeta. After that time, we'll go outside to greet the crowd and Katniss and Cato will make their speeches. If you guys want more time with Peeta after that, and if the doctors will allow it, we'll go back inside and you guys are free after that. You can either spend the night in the Capitol or we'll take you back here."

"Wait you're not going to make us come back?" I asked, surprised.

"Katniss, I told you that I wasn't going to force you to do anything," Paylor sighed. "I would like to have you on my side as I campaign through the districts, but I'm not requiring it of you."

"I'll go," Cato shrugged. "It's not like I have grand plans waiting for me at home. I'd rather you see you in charge than any more of those bloated Capitol balloons."

"I'm in too," I nodded. "As much as I don't want to trust another high official, even Cato has vouched for you, and I do trust his judgement. Standard threats apply should you betray us, of course."

"I wouldn't expect anything less out of you, Katniss," Paylor nodded. "Let's get going. The hovercraft landing platform is a bit of a walk away."

We trekked off for about 10 minutes into the woods before a clearing opened up suddenly through the thick trees. A hovercraft idling on the platform, the entrance guarded by two stern Peacekeepers who shot to attention the moment Paylor strode through the trees.

"At ease boys, and get the craft ready to go," she barked, striding up the ramp.

"Are you not coming, Cinna?" I asked when neither he nor the prep team made to board.

"I'll be here when you get back, Katniss," he replied with a small grin. "Don't keep me waiting long."

Nodding, I waved to him and found a seat between Cato and Prim. Smoothing back the flyaways that the short walk had left in Prim's hair, I was relieved to see the paleness had left her and she finally looked healthy. Grasping her hand in both of mine as she excitedly turned to a window to watch the ground fly past below us, I promised myself that she would no longer feel the sting of loss again. Sighing, I released her hand and leaned over to Cato to rest my head on his shoulder.

"Is this real Cato?" I whispered. "Am I being stupid by believing in Paylor and that she's being truthful?"

"If you're stupid, then I am too," he replied, shrugging and making my head bounce. "Let's just stop worrying, Katniss. Even if Paylor turns to be an evil octopus, not much we can do at this point."

Laughing and punching his arm, I decided to take his advice and roll with it; there really was nothing that we could do if Paylor's ideologies melded into Coin's. I spent the rest of the trip watching Prim as she excitedly flitted from one window of the hovercraft to the next, pointing out various objects that interested her and giggling at the jokes that one of the Peacekeepers whispered in her ear to keep her entertained.

"Katniss," I heard Cato murmur, his eyes wide as they stared out the window behind us.

Turning, I gasped at the huge crowd that was gathered in front of the hospital. Even through the drone of the hovercraft, I could hear the cheering and shouting as we glided over them to land on the roof. Despite Paylor's warning, I still was surprised by the sheer magnitude of the support that Peeta gathered.

We were ushered into the hospital by smiling doctors and nurses in crisp white coats and uniforms. Peacekeepers lined the hallways, and I motioned to them and raised an eyebrow at Paylor.

"They're there for the hospital's protection as well as ours," she stated. "Having a crowd that large below could be problematic if they decided to turn violent. Because Peeta's recovery was touch and go for a bit, we weren't sure how the crowd would respond should he take a turn for the worse."

Finally, we stopped in front of a stark door marked "Mellark, Peeta" and Paylor gestured me inside.

"I think you've earned the right to see him first," she winked. "There's a waiting room just down the hallway to the left, and we'll be waiting for you there when you guys are finished."

"Thank you, Commander Paylor," I said stoically. Giving me a playful smile, she ushered the rest of the group away.

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I placed a hand on the cold metal handle, and pushed the door open. I was taken aback by the sudden assault of vibrant flowers and stuffed animals that littered almost every surface of the room, including some tables and wheeled trays that looked like they had been put in just for the extra space. A cursory glance of the room revealed to me one glaring detail: the absence of even a single rose in any of the bouquets. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh scent of the flowers which masked the sterile smell of the hospital.

"I do prefer this smell to the bleach they have to use on everything here," a familiar voice chuckled.

"Are you hiding from something, Peeta?" I asked playfully. "I can't even see you from here."

"If the Gamemakers could see this place, they'd probably throw us in an arena full of homicidal flowers for the irony," Peeta joked as I made my way to his bedside.

He was pale and covered in wires, the salmon pink hospital gown washing him out even more, but he was alive and apparently healthy enough to be joking about going back into the Games. Machines monitored his heart rate, beeping morosely.

"I don't see you for weeks and you're more interested in the machines than me?" he teased, holding out his hand.

I took it and sat down in a small chair squeezed by his side.

"This isn't what I expected," I whispered. "I didn't see you until after you were finished healing after the Games. It's just hard seeing you so…" I couldn't finish.

"Weak?" he supplied with a small smile. "Fragile? Sexy?" He lowered his voice and tilted his head seductively.

Startled, I laughed loudly.

"I think you've spent way too much time with Finnick," I giggled, the cloud around us lifted. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than when I first came in," he replied. "I don't remember much of how I got here, but I distinctly remember the satisfaction of seeing Coin's head explode."

"I didn't think you were capable of something like that" I told him honestly. "Gale was always the reckless one. And you had made me a promise to take care of Prim."

"Yeah, I know that was selfish of me," he mumbled, a light blush coloring his face slightly. "I admit I didn't really think it through, but I was desperate and tired of feeling so helpless. What happened to you? I was told by the doctors that you and Cato had survived, but how?"

I filled him in on the events of the last week, and was astonished to see anger on his face.

"I thought we had told each other before no secrets, Katniss," he stated angrily.

The beeping on the machine increased and an alarm rang. Peeta suddenly grabbed his chest, breathing heavily. A nurse rushed into his room, turning off the alarm and gave him a thorough check over. She waited with him until his breathing returned to normal, scolding both of us to keep our conversation light before leaving.

"Peeta?" I asked cautiously. "Maybe we should wait until you're recovered more to discuss this."

"No," he demanded. "We're talking about this now. Why did you keep this from me?"

"I was scared, Peeta," I confessed. "And how exactly was I supposed to tell you? We didn't know which Peacekeepers were Coin's and which were Paylor's. We didn't know if your house was bugged or being monitored by Coin's people. You don't think I would have loved to tell you, to have you and Prim no longer losing sleep over it? You think it didn't kill me to see Prim looking so terrible, knowing that I could comfort her with a few careless words? You think it was easy watching you say goodbye to me, thinking it would be our last? I would have loved to have you with us in this Peeta, but I didn't know how?"

Tears coursed down my face, and Peeta gingerly sat up, leaning forward to pull me into his arms. Shushing me, he let me cry myself out, releasing much of my pent up stress. Sniffling, I helped Peeta lean back into his pillows and sat down in my chair, accepting a tissue with a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, Katniss, that was unfair of me," he mumbled after I had blown my nose. "I'm just done with all of this. Will this Paylor allow me to go back to 12?"

"Yes, I'll personally guarantee it," I promised. "She even said that Cato and I could return home if we wanted to, but we agreed to help her get elected to the Presidency. She claims to want the same unification of the districts that Coin preached and I have a feeling that she'll actually follow through. I don't know, Peeta. We'll see if she morphs into an evil octopus."

Bemused, Peeta didn't even bother asking.

"So after Paylor's done with you, will you be returning to 12?" he asked.

"I think so," I replied thoughtfully. "Everyone I know is there, including you and the Hawthornes, and Prim is most comfortable there. _ I'm_ most comfortable there, especially if I can convince Paylor to take down the fence and allow us free access to the forest. You know, that would not be a bad way to use my request."

"Request?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

I explained to him about Paylor's transmission the night after Coin was shot, and her offer to Cato and me.

"What for?" he inquired, still seeming puzzled. "Paylor prevented you from being executed. You think that she would think that you owed her something for that."

"She told us that it was to pay us back for all the trouble that Coin gave us," I shrugged. "She's actually waiting to meet you if you'll allow me to bring her in."

"Is our private time already done?" he asked, sadness clouding his eyes.

"Peeta, I am always here for you," I promised seriously. "I'll ask for a room in the Capitol nearby so I can visit you regularly, but we're on a tight schedule today. I think Paylor wants me to establish my support for her now in case I decide to abandon all the politics later."

"Yes, I think I'll meet her," Peeta decided. "I want to thank her for working to save you, whereas I was powerless."

Planting a light kiss on his forehead, I said, "You're much better use to me alive than dead Peeta Mellark."

I walked out of the room, thanking my lucky stars that Peeta had made it through. I honestly do not know what I would have done, to either myself or Coin's allies, should Peeta have succumbed to the bullet. I rounded the corner to the waiting room and was immediately besieged by Prim.

"Is he ok? How does he look? Can he stay awake? Does he need anything?" she demanded rapidly, leaning in closer to my face with each question.

"Calm down, Prim," I soothed, pushing back on her shoulders and meeting her eyes. "He's fine and he looks a little pale but is in good spirits. Do you want to go see him for a bit before we all go in?"

Grinning happily, she sprinted down the hallway to her room. I heard her exclamation at the floral display inside before the door closed.

"I hope neither of you are allergic to flowers," I mumbled as I collapsed into a seat by Cato.

"I've often heard that Capitol people like to give flowers as various displays of emotion, be it love, sadness, or joy," Paylor explained. "I've always found it to be a bit silly, since flowers plucked from the ground are doomed to die wilted and brown deaths."

Humming my agreement, I thought of the meadow in 12 and the fields of wild flowers in the forest; flowers in the ground were much preferable to ones wilting slowly in vases.

"Peeta wants to speak with you," I informed Paylor.

"I confess, I've both looked forward to and dreaded meeting him," she replied. "I'm half afraid he's saving a bullet for me when I walk in."

Laughing lightly, I told her that he was in fact grateful to her. We were interrupted by Prim, who said that Peeta was waiting for us. Paylor immediately stood and followed Prim closely. I hung back and slipped my hand into Cato's.

"You ok?" I asked quietly.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he replied, cocking his head to the side, looking genuinely confused.

Studying him intently for a bit, I simply grinned and shook my head.

* * *

><p>Several months after Paylor had been elected into office, my presence was officially requested by the Capitol. I was curious what Paylor could want with me, especially since I had not heard from her since her election celebration.<p>

Cato and I had done our part, campaigning furiously throughout the districts and reuniting with several of our friends made in the arena. When we visited District 4, I was able to bring Cinna, who helped a delighted Annie design her wedding dress. District 11 greeted us with the same warmth and hospitality that we had experienced during the Victory Tour. Cato and I were invited back to Rue's grandmother's house where she stuffed us full of chicken and greens, which, she told us with a brittle smile, had been delivered on a regular basis since Coin had taken office. She expressed her dismay at the atrocities that Coin had been charged with, and inquired as to how Peeta was doing back in District 12. Assuring her that Peeta was both healthy and happy, she finagled a promise from us that we would return in the near future with him in tow.

Our homecoming to District 12 for the campaign was unfortunately less pleasant.

_A red-faced Madge and stony-faced Gale met me after my speech outside of the Justice Building._

"_Katniss, can we have a word?" Madge asked softly, picking at her nails nervously._

"_Is something wrong Madge?" I asked worried. Cato came up behind me, placing a sturdy, warm hand on my shoulder. Gale clenched his jaw at the gesture before directing his narrowed eyes toward the back of Madge's golden head._

"_There's something that Gale and I need to tell you, and honestly we should have told you a while back, but we weren't sure how you would take it and we wanted to be absolutely sure before-" _

_I held up a hand to halt her rambling as she started turning purple from lack of air. _

"_Just say it, Madge," I prompted her. She opened her mouth a couple of times, but only managed a fearful squeak._

"_She's pregnant, Katniss," Gale stated solemnly, his grey eyes hard on my own. "I'm the father. We're getting married next week."_

_I was unsure how long I simply stared at the two of them, mouth open, before Cato stepped forward to congratulate Madge with a gentle hug. I followed his lead robotically, embracing Madge and echoing his best wishes with empty promises to meet with them again if they should ever visit the Capitol in the near future. Cato, sensing my shock and conflicting feelings, silently led me back home, pushing me into the shower to wash off the makeup. _

Our breakfast with the mayor's family the following morning had been tense all around, the mayor himself never meeting Gale's eyes as he made stony conversation. Cato and I were relieved to continue our trip toward District 13, where we were greeted with a hero's welcome. We were shown around the above ground facilities that they were building with Capitol assistance.

I pulled myself out of my reverie when I felt the train slow and pull into the Capitol station. Paylor's assistant greeted me as I stepped off and ushered me into a government car.

"President Paylor is very excited to be meeting with you, and we hope that you'll be just as pleased with what she wants to talk to you about," she chirped brightly, the white feathers in her hair bobbling with every one of her enthusiastic words.

She remained mum on Paylor's agenda the rest of the trip. The car wove its way toward Paylor's personal apartment, where she lived while the Presidential mansion was being rebuilt. A mysterious fire had broken out at Snow's mansion the night Paylor had been elected, and firefighters had been forced to let it burn to the ground due to the intense heat. Later investigation by Peacekeepers determined that an electrical fire that had caught Snow's rose garden on fire and the chemicals in the greenhouse had exploded. The case was closed quickly, and the memory of the smoldering ruins still brought a smile to my face.

Paylor greeted me with a grin and lunch when I arrived.

"Glad you could come, Katniss," she welcomed as I loaded a plate. "I wanted to tell you in person that we have finally come to a resolution about the fences surrounding the districts. There are several districts where the fences cannot be fully removed due to wildlife surrounding the areas, such as your home district. But, it is possible to lower the fence and make it more asthetically pleasing while taking out the electricity. We'll be able to make the fence free access, but will have to proceed with a mandatory meeting of all residents to warn them of the dangers of bears, mountain lions, and others. Does this work for you?"

"So people will be able to come and go through the wilderness freely?" I clarified.

"Yes," she replied simply.

"Why couldn't you have told me this over the phone?" I asked curiously.

"I thought it would be more dramatic this way," she responded with a wicked grin.

True to her word, a work crew was sent the following week to District 12 to tear down the old fence. I stood between Cato and Peeta as we watched it destroyed, gasping each of their hands in my own. As each panel was demolished, I felt my doubts about the future collapse. Even if people were starving, they were now allowed to go into the forest to pick berries and set up traps for the wild animals. The children were no longer subjected to annual death matches, and instead could train for a cash prize in several different athletic events. I had spent several nights rethinking my goals in life. The prospect of a family and children no longer seemed frightening and alien to me.

Paylor offered me the job of District 12 wilderness ranger. I spent my days making trails through the forest for the public to use to safely navigate through the woods and occasionally tracked down the lost hiker. Gale, no longer wishing to work in the mines, asked to be my partner, and, after approval from Paylor, joined me in the forest every day. We cautiously hashed out our differences and he confided me in his fears about becoming a father. He laughed at me when I complained about the arguments Cato and I had, and helped me work up the courage to ask him to move in with me permanently after a year and a half of dating.

Cato had simply laughed and swept me into a hug when I brought it up. He worked training the athletes for the new Games, and since he took over the training, District 12 had produced at least two winners each year. The participants often came from impoverished backgrounds, and their prize money was large enough to buy their families comfortable lives. Cato's regiment was so effective, that trainers throughout the country would often study under him to observe his techniques. He often sent back money to his sister who remained in District 2, but visited us often.

On the 80th anniversary of the Hunger Games, Cato and I had sat down to rewatch the recaps of the Games they showed every year to honor the dead, when he started chuckling. Quirking an eyebrow at him, he just laughed louder.

"I hardly think this is funny," I said dryly.

"To think, all this could have been avoided if Snow hadn't been so intent on destroying you," he snorted. "Honestly, I think that if he hadn't made such a big deal over it or just flexed his muscles and subdued the protests, things wouldn't have spiraled the way that they did. And I wouldn't have been partnered with a scrawny miner's daughter with wicked aim."

Punching his arm and slapping the back of his head, I muttered, "Yeah and I wouldn't have had to put up with an impudent brute who couldn't think beyond the reach of his arm."

Snorting, he wrestled me under him lying down on the couch and planted a wet kiss on my lips.

"Thank you, Coriolanus Snow."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> The penultimate chapter! I'm going to write a series of shorts from Cato's POV for the epilogue and then it'll be done! I want to again thank everyone for your reviews, story alerts, and story favorites. They always bring a smile to my face and make me jump up and down in glee :)

PS. I try to respond to each review I get (at least recently...), but I would like to give a special shoutout to all the anon reviewers, who I appreciate just as much but am saddened that I have no way to respond to you personally. Extra note to Priscilla X. Silver, never give up on giving long reviews if you think a story deserves it. Your well thought out reviews give me a special boost, and are greatly appreciated :).


	21. Chapter 21: Cato

**Author's Note:** The different parts of this story could skip days, months, or years.

**Cato POV**

_The night before the execution_

My father's final words to me were still ringing in my ear as I stormed out of what possibly could have been our last family dinner.

"_I can't believe you wasted your talents and your life on someone like that."_

If the Peacekeepers had asked me, I would have rather spent my final night with Peeta and Prim rather than be forced to listen to my parents chastise me. I heard soft footsteps behind me, and sighed deeply.

"Do you regret it?" my sister whispered, sitting on the concrete steps beside me. It might have been the last time I ever saw her.

"No, I don't," I murmured, wrapping an arm around her when she began trembling. "I'm not ready to die, but I wouldn't change a thing. I only regret leaving you alone with our parents and your husband. I had such plans for what I would do with him when I won."

"I'll be fine, Cato," she stated, shaking off my arm and lifting her head. "I'm not the little girl you had to defend on the playground anymore, you know."

"Of course, butterfly," I defended, raising my hands to surrender to her. She wrinkled her nose at my old nickname for her. "Promise me that you'll leave him."

She breathed deeply, wrapping her hands around my arm and laying her head on my shoulders. The car of Peacekeepers with Katniss arrived before she could respond. She rose and pulled me into a hug.

"I promise, little brother," she whispered, giving me a final squeeze. I hoped that I would be able to help her with her promise.

* * *

><p>I managed to catch Peeta before his head hit the ground, a blow that surely would have knocked him unconscious or even, in his condition, killed him instantaneously. I lowered him to the floor when I saw the Peacekeeper that had shot him push forward toward us again. I knew that if I killed him it would mean more trouble for everyone, so a quick elbow to his temple was all I dared before I pushed my attention back to Peeta.<p>

"Take care of her," he coughed, barely able to be heard above the panic in the room.

"Don't be stupid, Peeta Mellark," I growled at him, removing my jacket and pressing it to his chest. "I don't know what had gotten into you to pull this off, but you will never be so ridiculous again, do you hear me?"

Pale and shaking, he grinned weakly. I was soon roughly pushed away from him, and my stomach sunk as he was rushed away on a wheeled stretcher, disappearing out the doors of the room. I hoped for Katniss' sake that Peeta would pull through this.

* * *

><p>Standing beside Katniss in the forest of District 12, I was in awe of our surroundings; it was everything she said it would be. Tranquil, yet alive with the singing of birds and the scuttle of insects surrounding us. I had spent most of my life inside a training facility, dodging dummies with my hands wrapped around steel. The trees that had been artificially planted in District 2 were insignificant compared to the massive oaks and pines that Katniss and I strolled under. The air was fresh, tinted slightly with the smells of decaying plants and moist earth.<p>

"I want to show you something," Katniss murmured in my ear.

She led me further into the forest, and I nervously glanced over my shoulder, trying to make mental landmarks so we would be able to find our way back.

"You don't trust me?" she giggled. "I know these woods better than I know the layout of District 12 itself. Don't worry, big baby, I'll get you back in one piece."

Narrowing my eyes at her, I slowly began to formulate my revenge, which was immediately abandoned when I caught sight of sparkling waters. We had a pool in the training facility, but it was laced with chemicals and artificially blue. This lake was natural and a light brown in color. I spotted dragonflies dancing around the edges and turtles sunbathing on logs. Looking around, it was clear that this was not a spot many people frequented.

"Thank you for bringing me here," I whispered to Katniss, realizing that this must have been a sacred place for her. She put her arms around my chest and I returned her embrace. Looking down at her, an evil thought flooded my mind. I flipped her over my shoulder and ran toward the lake.

Ignoring her screams and small fists beating down on my back, I used my momentum to hurl her deep into the waters of the lake, startling fish and scattering the bugs. When she resurfaced, sputtering and stray hairs blanketing her face, I smirked down at her.

"Big babies have big muscles."

* * *

><p>"Put down the bow, Katniss," I shouted at her, sweat beading on my forehead despite the cool morning air. Instead, she simply grinned and pulled the string tighter.<p>

"Just admit it, Cato," she replied, taking careful aim. "That's all I want."

"Never," I growled, defiant until my end.

I closed my eyes when I heard the arrow released, and winced when it struck its target.

"I win. You really do suck as an archer."

* * *

><p>"Will you marry me? Will <em>you<em> marry me? Will you marry _me_? Will you _marry_ me?"

"Cato, stop," my sister muttered, rubbing her forehead. "You sound like an idiot with some weird speech impediment."

"_You_ sound like an idiot," I shot back.

"I can really see why she fell for you," she grinned at me.

* * *

><p>As my competitor broke through the tape at the end of the obstacle course, bleeding slightly from a head wound, I felt an elation that I had only known with Katniss in the privacy of our home. Congratulations poured in around me from my fellow coaches, all previous Victors of the Games. Finnick lingered at the edge of the crowd, and caught my eye as they finally dispersed.<p>

"You put a ring on Katniss' finger yet?" he grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Did Annie ask you to ask me that?" I shot back at him, rolling my eyes.

"Of course," he shrugged. "I care more about how you're training your tributes."

"They're not tributes, Fin," I argued, but knew it was a losing battle. Several of the Victors still called their athletes "tributes," and old habits were hard to break.

"Whatever you call them, they're kicking all of our asses," he grumbled. "Even after your boy ran face first into barbed wire, it barely slowed him down. My girl crumbled after getting half of her hair burned off by the flamethrowers."

"You'd think that since the Games aren't designed to kill anymore they'd go easier on the contestants," I shrugged. "But you just have to realize they're using the same Gamemakers so it makes sense that they'd run along a similar theme. Did you even think to look at old Game footage for training ideas?"

His silence spoke volumes.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure that it'll be ready on time?" I questioned intently into the phone.<p>

"Yes for the last time, Cato, two weeks," was the curt reply. "Now leave me alone before I have you arrested for pissing me off."

* * *

><p>I had spent the last 2 months listening to Katniss rail about how the lake she frequented with her father had been shut off to all visitors by the government; listened to her rant about Paylor overstepping her bounds and not returning any of her calls. Through all our years of living together, I had not seen her more outraged and indignant over an official order. I, for one, found it hilarious, which I think only served to annoy Katniss further.<p>

To keep from laughing in her face and, mainly, to avoid her wrath, I kept out of the house, electing to spend more time in the gym. I left our house every morning when it was still dark and returned well after Katniss had gone to bed. I even put up a little cot in my office so I could sneak in naps during off hours, due to the 5 hours of sleep I was getting each night.

One night, I received a call from Katniss after I had eaten dinner with some of the other trainers.

"Paylor just called," she said tonelessly. "She said that your project was complete and ready for you anytime you were. Want to tell me what's going on, Cato?"

"Not really, Katniss," I replied lightly.

"Fine," she said, before hanging up.

Sighing, I ran a hand down my face, a frustrated habit I had picked up recently.

"Trouble with the missus?" a trainer joked.

"We're not married," I snapped.

"Well who'd want to be married to a cantankerous ass like you?" he retorted.

I reveled in his stunned grunt as I tackled him to the ground.

'Everything will be set right soon,' I thought as I wrestled out some of the stress that had been building.

When I locked up the gym later that night, I heard a throat clear behind me.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"Katniss!" I exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here. It's late don't you have an early morning tomorrow?"

"Well you'd know all about early mornings wouldn't you?" she demanded, striding forward with her arms tense at her side. "You don't come back until you think I'm asleep and you leave before you think I'm awake. What are you trying to do Cato? Are we over? If you're tired of this, just let me know; I don't want to keep you here against your will."

Raising my hands, I walked toward her, surprised when she backed away from me.

"Katniss, I-"

She cut me off by turning and walking away rapidly. I ran and caught up with her, turning her and placing both my hands on her shoulders.

"Katniss, look at me," I ordered when her eyes refused to meet mine. "I, under no circumstances, want to break up with you. I'm sorry I've been so distant for the last few weeks, but, honestly, I was trying to prevent you from getting too mad at me, which I realize now was a stupid idea. The call from Paylor was something that I had been expecting for some time now, actually. Will you take a walk with me?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she replied, shaking off my hands and marching away.

Rolling my eyes, I ran at her and tossed her over my shoulder.

"Well you're coming whether you like it or not," I shouted at her over her screeches and the fists pounding at my back. She quieted when she realized we were headed into the woods.

"Is this the part where you kill me?" she asked flatly.

"Yes," I stated. "I kept you alive through the Hunger Games and have been living with you the past 7 years only to bring you to the woods on some auspicious night and kill you. Geez, how did I ever find you intelligent?"

I yelped when a sharp finger dug into the small of my back, and then suppressed an unmanly giggle when she started tickling me. I dumped her to the ground into a leaf pile, only to have my legs kicked out from under me.

"I'm going to have a word with the other trainers when I get back to the gym," I muttered.

"Just because I can kick your well tone butt doesn't mean you should be jealous," she retorted, rolling out of the leaf pile and picking dried bits out of her hair. "Where are we anyways?"

"What?" I gasped. "Does the park ranger not know her own forest?"

"Shut up," she muttered. "Wait, isn't this where the fence was?"

"Deadly and observant," I said, standing up and shaking the dirt out of my hair. "This is what I wanted to show you."

"That the fence was gone?" she asked skeptically. "I could have found out about it later this week when Gale and I patrolled this area."

"Just follow me," I ordered.

Ignoring the grumbling, I led her toward the result of the formal request I had used from Paylor. When we broke the tree line and came within view of the lake, Katniss' gasp was the affirmation that the turmoil of the last few weeks had been worth it. Although I had been expecting it, the effects still stunned me.

Beside the lake, sat a large cabin, similar in style to the one we had stayed at in the mountains surrounding the Capitol. A large greenhouse sat behind the cabin, reflecting the moon's light. Several species of evening primrose lined the sides of the house.

"Cato?" Katniss whispered, staring with wide eyes.

"Surprise," I whispered back, wrapping her in a hug from behind. "I'm sorry I had to keep you away from the lake for so long, but I couldn't have you finding this before it was ready. I had actually planned on showing you tomorrow morning, but _somebody_ couldn't wait that long."

"You did all this?" she asked, searching my eyes.

"For us," I replied simply. "Let's go inside."

I had no skills in interior decorating, so I had asked Cinna to help adorn the interior. He had dressed the house in earthy tones of greens and blues. The furniture was more Capitol chic than I would have cared for, but it wasn't as ostentatious as the rooms at the Training Center or even his own home.

I became concerned when I heard a sob, but tightened my grip on Katniss' hand when I realized what she was staring at. I had asked Peeta several weeks ago to commission a family portrait of Katniss' family. I found several old photographs of Katniss' father, and her mother he drew from memory. The painting showed her family in play by the lake, Katniss' mother laying against her father's leg in the shade of an old oak tree. Katniss and Prim were playing at the water's edge, wide smiles on all faces. Other paintings were scattered throughout the house, several just candid portraits of each person, but the one that hung over the bed in our room was of Katniss and I. Peeta must have reached deep into his memories for that one, because we were back to back peacefully asleep in the jungle, handcuffed with a 3 ft silver chain between us.

I was even more astonished at what hung beneath the painting: our original cuffs, bearing Katniss and my name. I reverently ran a finger along my cuff, feeling the grooves bearing my name and district number.

"We owe a lot to that chain don't we?" Katniss murmured, sliding under my arm and wrapping an arm around my waist.

"A lot of memories, and a lot of lives," I replied, not taking my eyes off the chain. "Let's make all of it count Katniss- the people, the places, the nightmares. We've survived a lot in the past, but we've also lived as well, and I want to spend the rest of my life making memories with you. Maybe even a few lives."

I grinned, and, carefully detangled her iron grip on my hip, dropped to a knee in front of her. My stomach clenched with nerves and my palms were slippery with sweat as I fumbled in my pocket for the small box.

"Katniss Everdeen, as much as you love these woods that surround District 12, it could never match my feelings for you. Will you marry me?"

All I received in return was a punch on the shoulder and a "what took you so long" as I slipped the ring onto her finger.

* * *

><p>She was breathtaking as she emerged from between two thick oak trees, a simple gown hanging lightly from her slim shoulders. The world disappeared as she grew larger in my field of vision, the rustling of the leaves against her bare feet and my own unsteady breathing the only sounds I was aware of.<p>

She was my reward for surviving the Hunger Games.

* * *

><p>At the end of a 19 hour labor, which cleared the forest of almost all wildlife within earshot of our cabin, I finally held my squalling son in my hands. I awkwardly placed him into the crook of my arm under the direction of my mother. I was fascinated with his size, no bigger than a loaf of Peeta's bread and barely any heavier. Definitely louder though.<p>

He was my reward for surviving the Hunger Games.

* * *

><p><em>Zzzzzzzzzzt.<em>

My eyes snapped open, my mind suddenly alert. Something was out of place in the cabin.

_ZzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzt._

There it was again. I glanced over at Katniss, getting her first good night's sleep since the baby had been born, and decided against waking her.

_Zzzzt._

I eased myself out of bed, ears pricked for the distinct whine, and glanced warily around the room, the light of the full moon streaming through the window. I gingerly stepped around the bed when, suddenly, I spied the noisy assailant and struck out, smacking the wall with my palm.

The loud thud not only woke Katniss, who sat up with a shriek, but also the baby, who let out an equally dismayed wail. Punching my arm as she stalked past me, muttering under her breath, she rushed to calm the infant.

Damned mosquitoes.

* * *

><p>I knocked gently on the wood door, opening it when I heard a soft "come in."<p>

I grinned when I spied the bride-to-be, angelic in white and glowing by the sunlight streaming through the window.

"You look beautiful, Prim," I murmured as I tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Nervous?"

"Very," she whispered, fiddling with an organza rose on the belt of her dress. She had agonized over the dress design with Cinna, to the point that Cinna had his own room at her house in Victor's Village, which she had kept when Katniss and I moved into the lake house.

"You know it's not too late for me to make him disappear," I stated stoically.

"Cato!" she laughed. "I love Rory, and I can't wait to marry him. But, I don't know why I'm so nervous. Katniss was never this uncertain the day you two were married."

"You'll be fine, Prim," I said, pulling her into a gentle hug. "Just focus on him."

She gave me a brittle smile, tears filling her eyes.

"Thank you for being there for me, and for Katniss," she whispered, reaching for my hand. "Thank you for agreeing to walk me down the aisle."

We were interrupted by a knock on the door, which opened to reveal Katniss in one of Cinna's famous fire red dresses.

"It's time, Prim," she smiled. "You ready?"

Prim looked up at me, and took my arm.

"Definitely."

* * *

><p>"Lift your arm higher, and make sure your elbow is tucked into your side," I instructed, circling my son slowly as he attacked a dummy.<p>

"Those seem like conflicting ideologies, dad," he retorted, performing a perfect backslash and then finishing by beheading the dummy. "I can do one or the other."

"You'll do both if you want to compete for the chance to go this year," I stated, picking up a sword and nodding at him to attack me.

"I don't know why you're even making me try out," he grunted as he defended against my blows. "You know I'm better than any of those other competitors."

Eyes narrowing, I grew annoyed at his arrogance. I knew where it was coming from; I was the exact same way at his age. He was a few years younger than I had been when I volunteered for my Games. Locking his blade in mine, I reached around and disarmed him, pushing both the blades crossed against his neck until he was backed into the wall.

"That's why I make you compete," I growled. "You're arrogant, but you're beatable. You're strong, but you're vulnerable."

I lowered the swords slowly.

"You won't be a true candidate until you can conquer your own weaknesses," I stated, walking away from him. "Now come on, your mother should be waiting with a rabbit or something that was unfortunate enough to wander in her path tonight. Help me close up."

Placing the swords back into their cabinet, we walked out of the darkened gym.

"I'm sorry, dad," he mumbled as I locked the front doors. "I just want you and mom to be proud of me."

"I am proud of you, kid," I said, surprised. "But I have to make sure that you're ready to go into the Games. They won't kill you anymore, but they're not going to be kind either."

Throwing an arm around his broad shoulders, I ruffled my son's blond hair, laughing when he groaned and pushed me away.

* * *

><p>It was another 2 years before he qualified, but he dominated the field that year. Best of all, he managed to knock out Finnick's boy within minutes of the starting gong, eliminating him altogether from the Games.<p>

Finnick didn't speak to me for 2 months.

* * *

><p>"Katniss, I'm leaving for the day," I shouted up the stairs as I put my shoes on. "Did you want me to bring back some cheese buns for tonight?"<p>

"Katniss?" I asked again, making my way up to our room when I heard no response.

"In here," was the dull reply, emanating from the bathroom.

I pushed open the slightly ajar door, and found Katniss sitting on the edge of the bathtub, a white, plastic stick dangling limply out of her hand.

"Katniss," I began, slowly edging toward her. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I'm pregnant," she mumbled. "I'm almost 42 years old, and I'm going to be a mother again. We've barely finished raising one, and now we're going to have another."

"Katniss, this is not a bad thing," I insisted, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in mine. "We always talked about having more than one, but the timing was just never right. Maybe this is nature's way of telling us not to wait too long."

She was silent for several minutes, simply staring at our intertwined hands. I remained quiet as well, wanting to allow her to come to her own conclusion.

"It has been too long since our last adventure, huh?" she grinned. She rubbed her stomach. "I feel that this one might be a thinker though. I think it's about time we had an intellectual in this family."

"Are you kidding me?" I snorted. "You as mother, me as father, and if our son's grades are any indication, we might just have another Games Victor on our hands."

* * *

><p>"And the results of the election are in," the reporter stated as the rest of us watched riveted. "And the winner is-"<p>

The room erupted in screams as my daughter's face filled the screen, the newly elected President of Panem. My son, Head Gamemaker, helped me to my feet and enclosed me in a hard hug before turning to Katniss. He was gentler with her, and laid a soft kiss on her cheek. She turned to me.

"I told you so," she stated, cocky grin on her face. The punch she aimed at my arm no longer possessed the sting it had the first time she punched me during Opening Ceremonies, but it still held the same affection as the hit she gave me after I had asked her to marry me.

I smiled as I smoothed her graying hair away from her face.

"You were right," I replied. "But, then again, you usually are."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: The end! Boy has it been fun writing all these. Thank you everyone who's stuck with this story through its ups and downs, and another special shoutout to my amazing beta. Writing this story has been a stress reliever of sorts for me, and the reviews and other positive feedback I've gotten, especially for my first try with fanfiction, has been incredibly heartening and very much appreciated. Just a reminder, there will be alternate endings that I wanted to play around with, including several that were reviewer submitted. I hope you stick around for more!


	22. Chapter 22: Alternate ending 1

**Author's Note:** This is the beginning of the alternate endings for this story.

* * *

><p><em><span>The morning of the execution<span>_

**Cato POV**

I was supremely confident as we were led from the car into the stark execution chambers. I almost smirked at the smug expression on Coin's face as Katniss and I stood on the platform, knowing that she would soon be completely unable to take such airs again.

As the Peacekeepers took their places, I looked over to my sister. Tears had gathered at the corners of her eyes, despite her best efforts to keep them at bay. My father had a tight arm around my mother's shoulders, who clutched a handkerchief to her mouth, looking slightly nauseous.

Coin's command of "Ready your weapons!" drew my attention back to her, and I stiffened my spine, ready at any moment for Commander Paylor to make her grand entrance. I sent a small wink toward my sister, hoping to comfort her.

"Take aim!"

Where was she? I was tempted to glance back at the doors, but instead grabbed Katniss' hand, trying to convey to her through my eyes to be steady. Paylor would come in time. The sound of the heavy golden doors opening made my heart beat quicken, and I rapidly turned to it. The sight that greeted me immediately sunk my stomach to my feet.

Paylor was dragged in between two brawny Peacekeepers, bruised, bloodied, and unable to stand on her own. Her feet fumbled for placement before she was dumped in front of Coin, who stared down at her with a mixture of triumph and disgust. Snorting, she turned her eyes back to us.

"Is this who you expected to become your savior?" she asked, her voice ringing out throughout the stunned silence of the room. "This person, who gave up all of your secrets with the tiniest convincing? I bring her to you, alive, to show you the futility of opposing me; to show you that _I_ am the future of Panem, not you, and certainly not District 13."

The horror I saw on Katniss' face was surely reflected in my own. We had been made; but how? And by whom?

_10 hours earlier_

**Coin POV**

A loud rapping on the door jolted me out of a deep sleep. I looked at the glowing clock next to my bed, _12:04 AM_. Knowing it must be important, especially with the dissenters' executions tomorrow, I slipped a silk robe over my shoulders and threw the door open.

"President Coin," the head of my personal guard greeted me. "I'm sorry to disturb you on the eve of such an important event, but there is a Peacekeeper I believe you would be very interested to speak with."

Nodding, I allowed him to lead me down to the conference room, curiosity overcoming my fatigue. The door was opened for me and, inside, I found an unfamiliar Peacekeeper sitting at the wide table.

"This had better be a matter of life or death," I barked, and the startled Peacekeeper leapt to his feet.

"Yes, ma'am," he stated. "I came to inform you that there is a plot against your life and your reign over Panem, President Coin."

"By whom?" I asked, indignant. Who would threaten my reign that I didn't already know about.

"Paylor," was the answer.

I narrowed my eyes, sinking into a chair. I should have known that District 13 would interfere in this. After all I had done for them, after all I had personally sacrificed for them, they moved against me when my rule was just in its infancy. I felt a coldness sweep through me, and my head grew light. I was a fool for trusting her, but she was the closest thing I had to a friend in the Capitol.

"President Coin?" he asked, hesitant. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," I ground out. "Fetch the head of my guard, and bring him here."

He quickly scampered out of the room, and, with a shaky hand, I poured myself a glass of water.

"_Deal with dissenters and others dangerous to your rule swiftly, decisively, and without mercy,"_ Snow's voice rang in my ear. Would he have taken the same measures against me had he found out of the coup against him? Would I have to spend the rest of my life, trusting no one and killing all those that got in my way?

The door opening jolted me out of my reverie and I turned sharp eyes to the two men who sat across from me.

"Take note of what this man says," I ordered my head guard. "Any sign of falsehood, take him into custody and _make_ him tell the truth."

"Yes, President Coin," he acknowledged.

"Continue," I ordered.

"Commander Paylor first approached me several months ago with word of a rebellion against you in District 13," he began. He went on to tell me about the plot to depose of me after Paylor had rescued Katniss and Cato, installing herself as President and ruling under the thumb of District 13. He told me about the cabin in the mountains of the Capitol that served as headquarters for the rebellion.

"Make a list of every single person you have come into contact with, whether or not you think they're involved in this plot," I commanded, sliding a binder of papers his way. "Leave nobody out, and detail locations as well."

I rose out of my chair, and gestured for my guard to follow me out of the room. Once the door closed, he gave me his full attention.

"After he's done giving you his intel, I want him killed along with the other rebel Peacekeepers," I murmured. "This affair must not get out to the general public. I want this taken care of quietly and efficiently."

"Yes, President Coin," he stated. "And the other insurgents?"

"I'll take care of Paylor personally," I said, turning to a window. "I'll leave you to deal with the rest."

I walked back to my room, head swimming and nauseous. I had promised myself I would not live with the same paranoia that Snow had been perpetually shrouded in, but it seemed that I had no choice but to mistrust everyone around me. I finally understood Snow, and I was afraid.

_The morning of the execution_

**Cato POV**

"You didn't think that you could hide this from me did you?" Coin shouted over the din of frantic relatives and Peacekeepers.

"Who is this person?" Peeta thundered as he was restrained by a Peacekeeper, unable to tear his eyes away from Paylor's battered form. "Why are you treating her like this?"

"This is what will happen to anyone that interferes with the best interests of Panem," Coin answered, as Peacekeepers forced everyone back into their seats, sometimes with the butts of their rifles. Peeta was bleeding from a head wound before he would finally be subdued.

"Continue with the execution," Coin commanded.

"Peacekeepers, reform the line!"

As the executioners got back into formation, shouldering their rifles, I once again grasped Katniss' hand.

"I'm sorry Katniss," I shouted desperately. Her pale and ashen face was slick with tears and sweat as she kept a death grip on my hand.

"Fire!"

Gunshots filled the room, screams following afterward. I felt Katniss sink to the ground, dragging my arm down with her. I turned blurry eyes toward her, sinking to my knees as I felt my strength leave me. Lifeless grey eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Fire erupted from my chest as I crawled to her, a bloodied hand tracing her jaw line. I heard distant, muffled words behind me, accompanied by sobbing, before the world disappeared behind the roar of gunfire.

**Coin's POV**

It was done. The last two people that held any threat to my rule were dead, and the rest I could force into submission. I motioned to Peacekeepers to take Prim and Peeta away.

"Where would you like for us to take them, President Coin?" one asked me.

"Back to their house for the meantime, as well as Cato's family," I answered calmly. "Keep guards on all doors and access points at all times, and I want their movements and activities strictly monitored."

"Yes, ma'am" he saluted, escorting all of them out the doors. I kept a close eye on Prim, who was staring motionless at her sister's body with a mixture of nausea and horror, as she was pulled out of the room. She might be useful.

I turned my eyes to the two bodies in front of me when the room emptied. Their fingers were still entwined, Cato's hand still close to the jaw he had stroked reverently before the killing shot took him down. I stepped to Katniss' side, and gently ran my fingers down her eyelids, closing them.

_I didn't want to do this, really. But you left me with no choice. Is this how you slowly went mad, Coriolanus? Nobody to trust, nobody to confide in; the one person that you took under your wing ultimately betrayed you. Is that the life that is meant for me as well?_

Sighing as I stood, I straightened my back, wiped away the residual blood on my fingertips on a handkerchief in my pocket, and strode through the golden doors to make my speech to the press.

_15 years later_

**Prim POV**

"Peeta!" I called as soon as I entered our house. "I brought something for you!"

He came out of the kitchen, smiling as he wiped flour off his hands.

I pulled the tiny package out of my bag and pushed it into his hands.

"Open it!" I laughed at his questioning look.

I looked on in anticipation as he tore into the paper box and pulled out a small ball of cheese.

"It's cheese from one of Lady's descendents," I explained as I put away my things. "Gale sent it over on the last train from District 12, and President Coin had it sent to my office. I thought you might like to incorporate it into dinner tonight."

Nodding, the smile dropped from his face at the mention of Coin. 15 years and what she did to him still rankled. Sighing, I stepped behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Anything you want me to get at the grocery store?" I asked, laying my cheek against his back.

Nodding, not turning around, he wrote out a list on a pad of paper he kept in his pants pocket and handed it over to me.

"Ok I'll be back," I told him, taking out some cash to walk to the store down the street. Opening the door, I greeted my guard.

"Where are you going Miss Everdeen?" he asked.

"To the store, and I don't want to delay dinner, so let's hurry," I replied, setting off at a rapid pace. I had hoped that the reminder of District 12 would have lightened Peeta's mood, rather than drive him into brooding. I could count on my right hand the number of times that I've seen him laugh since the day that Katniss and Cato died.

I couldn't blame him, though. Shortly after confirming that neither Peeta nor I knew anything about the rebellion or the plot to free Katniss and Cato, she put both of us on public trial for treason. While I was acquitted, mainly due to my age, Peeta was found guilty of conspiracy. Coin had come to see me later that night.

"_Primrose," she greeted as Peacekeepers let her into my holding cell. "I'm sure you've heard by now of poor Peeta's fate."_

"_You plan to execute him, like you did Katniss and Cato," I stated numbly. _

"_That is his ultimate fate, if you leave him to it," she said carefully._

"_What do you mean 'if I leave him to it,'" I demanded, rising off my cot. Her Peacekeepers tightened their grip on their guns._

"_I have a deal to make with you, Prim," she continued, pulling up a chair from the small table. "You agree to become my protégé, work under me, study under me, and, instead of killing Peeta, I'll make him an Avox under your control. Think about it."_

I was escorted back to Peeta's apartment several days later, without any further word from Coin after I agreed to her proposal. A sleek, black car pulled up hours after I had arrived and Peeta was carried, under my direction, up to his room and deposited on his bed. I was horrified at the condition he was in- filthy, with bruises littering his body and blood caked to his forehead. It took me an hour to wash what I could of him before he woke up. It was several heartbreaking moments before he realized that he could no longer speak, and after accepting a glass of water from me, gestured to the door, a plea for me to leave him alone.

I did not see him for an entire day, and all trays of food I left by his door were untouched. The next morning, however, I was awoken to the mouthwatering smell of fresh baked bread. Smiling, I found Peeta busy in the kitchen, 4 fresh loaves on the counter next to him.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked shyly.

He turned unsmiling, but not unkind, eyes toward me and nodded, pushing a slice of steaming bread towards me. He took out a pad of paper and scrawled on it, '_Why am I alive?'_

"Because I agreed to study under Coin, Peeta," I sighed. "As long as I do what she says, we're safe. Your family, Cato's family. They're all safe and well as long as I stay in line."

**Peeta POV**

When I heard her say those words, I could have destroyed the kitchen with my bare hands. This was not what Katniss had wanted; this was not what I had wanted for her.

After Katniss' execution, I was shoved into a small room and buckled down onto a bed. They injected me a sickening green substance, and questioned me extensively. I was fuzzy as to exactly what I said that day, but apparently it was enough to condemn me to death. I was brought back to the same room several days later, and asked if I had any last words. Refusing to speak or even look at any of them, I was injected once again. I was terrified, but content that I had died in defense of Katniss and Cato, defying Coin in what little way I could. I was, therefore, immensely surprised and dismayed to wake up back in my room in the Capitol, Prim by my side, and without a tongue.

To hear that Prim had sacrificed her freedom for my life was simply unacceptable to me, and I had been ready to make an escape or find some way to get myself killed so she would no longer be burdened with me. But then she confessed that I was all she had left to remind her of District 12 and her old life, and begged me to stay with her.

I had acted as her butler of sorts since then, listening to her struggle under Coin's strict thumb and applauding her triumphs. The first time I had tried to convince her to leave the Capitol and escape to District 12, half a dozen Peacekeepers had stormed the apartment and muscled me back to Coin's dungeons, where I had spent a painful and hungry two weeks. I was finally allowed back with Prim when I had signed a contract under Coin's watchful eye that I would no longer speak or act out against her or the Capitol, under pain of Prim's suffering. Coin knew my greatest weakness; I no longer cared for my own life, but I would do anything to keep Prim alive, even if it meant allowing her mind to slowly be corrupted under the malicious President.

She came home some nights physically and emotionally exhausted. It killed me to see someone as sensitive and gentle as Prim being transformed into a hardened politician. She often appeared on television in the shadows of President Coin, her face a blank mask which she had been forced to perfect during the Capitol Hunger Games; the only positive thing about that atrocity was that it was short.

Rumors were rampant at the time that some of the elite Capitol citizens had paid poorer families to volunteer for their children should they be picked during the Reaping; there had been three volunteers, all underfed and shaking like wet dogs. The pampered Capitol children had unceremoniously crumbled in the arena, and in less than 48 hours, a winner had been declared. The arena itself had been a simple affair, perhaps due to the fact that the Gamemakers had to account for how they would like their own children to die.

I was jolted out of my thoughts by Prim's ever cheerful voice floating toward me from the front door.

"Peeta!" it sang. "Come see who I found at the store!"

Crouched over, removing his shoes, was Beetee, Katniss' fellow Victor of the Quarter Quell. Nodding my greeting, I gestured to the living room. I went into the kitchen to fetch some drinks, when Prim stopped me.

"Will you come sit with us, Peeta?" she asked, squeezing my forearm.

Narrowing my eyes at her slightly, I nodded again and was deposited on the couch between Beetee and Prim. She turned on the television to a popular reality show and discreetly placed a dainty hand on my knee.

"Stare straight ahead try not to move," she mumbled out of the corner of her mouth, barely audible.

I stilled, and after several minutes of discomfort and confusion, Beetee released a sigh.

"Ok the footage should be on loop now," he said, rubbing his forehead. "You want to fill him in?"

Prim turned to me, and what she told me would have stunned me into silence had Coin not already taken care of that. Apparently, our beloved President's behavior had rapidly deteriorated after Katniss and Cato's execution. She had become increasingly paranoid and suspicious of those around her and of the strangers that she encountered as part of her job. There was an internal movement to remove her from office, partly for her own safety and partly for that of the country. The plan was in its final stages, and Prim was primed to take over as the leader.

"I just want to make sure you'll be with me in this, Peeta," she implored. "Please, I need you. You're the only thing that's kept me sane after Katniss-"

She broke off, and I finally saw the toll that the last several years had taken on her. Although not yet in her 30's, her hair was already streaked with grey, well disguised amongst the blonde until you were close to her. Wrinkles lined her forehead, etched from years of worry and stress. Tears filled her eyes as she stared at me, waiting for my answer. How could I deny her anything? She was all I had left of Katniss.

And so I persevered, silent and obedient.

"_Promise me that you will never leave her alone and you will keep her happy and healthy,"_ Katniss had beseeched me the night before she died.

Standing beside Primrose Everdeen, as she took her oaths as the new President of Panem, I wasn't sure if I had kept my promise or not.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thanks for everyone that reviewed the epilogue! Here's the frst alternate ending. Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for endings. I'm busy working on the next one!

Also, this is a shameless plug for my newest story, which is in the Harry Potter universe. Please feel free to take a look!


	23. Chapter 23: Alternate ending 2

**Author's Note: **The following takes place immediately after Katniss decides to leave the alliance following Rue's death.

* * *

><p><strong>Finnick POV<strong>

I watched Katniss go with a lighter heart. It was eternally frustrating to watch Peeta be held back by his feelings for her; now that she was out of the alliance, maybe his full potential as a tribute would come through. I had seen his blood-thirsty side emerge last year, when he had slit the throat of that dying girl. It may have been a mercy killing, but he didn't have to volunteer himself for the task.

Mentally sighing, I prepared myself to regain my television demeanor- bright, chipper, flirtatious Finnick Odair, the person that brought endless sponsor money and _would _be the Victor.

"Well, kids," I smirked. "What should we do today?"

"We go kill your friends," Rory ground out, much to my surprise. "And when they're gone, we hunt down the others."

"And if we come across Katniss and Cato?" I asked lightly, testing his answer.

"They left us," he responded, looking down at the sand before hard eyes met mine. "We have no reason to protect them."

"Peeta?" I turned to my arena partner next.

"I promised you I wouldn't get in your way, and I intend to keep that promise," he stated clearly. "I just wish-"

"We all wish it didn't have to be this way, Peeta," Thresh rumbled, crossing his arms. "But it is, and some of us are going to have to die. You've been through this before. You really don't have anyone to live for other than Katniss?"

Sighing, Peeta simply mumbed, "Let's just get this over with."

* * *

><p>We found the female Victor from 1 later that night, gnawing at a tree trunk and clawing at the bark with her fingernails. The boy that she was attached to was sprawled out on the ground beside her, unmoving. From the moonlight, we could tell that he was severely dehydrated and, from the raw marks along his cuff, that she had been dragging him for some time.<p>

I could tell from the stunned silence behind me that everyone in the group was as shocked by her behavior as I was. I said another silent thanks to my Capitol sponsors. Empty-headed and gullible they may have been, but they had saved my life on more than one occasion.

By the time we had taken position to surround her, she had begun to kick at her partner.

"Wake up you useless thing," she hissed. "I'm not going to have you die on me now, when we're so close to the end."

He didn't so much as twitch. I threw my trident straight through her chest, her shriek piercing the quiet night and making the monkeys above our heads screech in alarm. A slight rushing noise betrayed Rory's arrow, which pierced the unfortunate boy through the temple. It was a more merciful death than a high voltage one would have been. As he emerged from his hiding place, I grinned and nodded my approval.

He didn't return my smile.

**Katniss POV**

"Katniss, this is unhealthy," Cato complained as we trudged through the jungle. "We need to stop for the night. Can you even see where you're going?"

"I can see well enough, big baby," I responded, trying to hide my fatigue and heavy breathing.

I started forward again, determined to find Finnick's friends before dawn, when I was suddenly jerked backward by my wrist, which beeped. I glared back at Cato.

"It'll either be you voluntarily resting, or we'll both be unconscious for the next few hours," he threatened.

"Why are you stopping me?" I questioned. "I thought you wanted to get out of here."

"Yes I want to get out of here _alive_," he said, rolling his eyes. "You're pushing yourself too hard. Tell you what, if you can sit down and get back up, we'll keep going."

To defy him, I sat down hard onto the soft jungle dirt, and, immediately, my legs lost all feeling. To the sound of muffled laughter, I settled down against a tree and resigned myself to waiting out the night. I was determined not to sleep, if nothing else than to spite Cato and his stupid, smug face.

Despite my resolve, I found myself being roughly shaken awake by Cato sometime later.

"Quiet," he hissed when I opened my mouth. "I hear someone coming our way. Ready your bow, and do not hesitate to shoot. Do you understand?"

I nodded, steeling myself to put an arrow through Peeta or Rory's head. I slowly strung an arrow onto the string, and drew back swiftly when I heard the bushes rustle. I looked down the length of my arrow, and noticed that the tip was trembling slightly.

"Steady, Katniss," Cato whispered, his breath brushing my ear. "If you can't do this, just close your eyes and let me handle it."

I shook my head. "You need me for this."

"-you'd think that the arena was shrinking," a female voice floated toward us, slowing getting closer. "With all the empty space here, we somehow just manage to avoid Finnick and his group. Are you sure you lost the spile somewhere around here?"

"Yes, it was in the sector with the monkeys," an older, male voice answered. "I dropped it when you jerked me backward. I wish you wouldn't be so rough. I'm not as young as I used to be, Johanna."

I inhaled sharply when I heard her name, my hand instantly stilling.

"They're headed straight for us," Cato breathed. "Stay very still, and when you feel like you have a good shot, take one out. I'll take care of the rest."

I nodded, and we both squatted, frozen in the night.

_For Rue,_ I thought before I released the arrow. It hit Beetee square between the eyes, and I ran behind Cato as he ran his sword through Johanna. She gave a surprised shriek and her eyes widened in the moonlight as she recognized us.

"I'm sorry-" Johanna coughed. "About the girl. Nothing personal."

"Neither is this," Cato grunted, before finishing her off.

**Finnick POV**

We were startled awake by the booming of two cannons.

"Katniss," Peeta whispered, staring at the sky.

"We'll find out tomorrow night, Peeta," I replied. "Nothing you can do about it now."

None of us slept the rest of the night. I spent the time until artificial dawn connecting the stars into Annie's face.

_The following morning_

"Hey Finnick," Peeta muttered to me, glancing over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" I responded, scanning the jungle for signs of the other two sets of tributes.

"Is it just me or should we not be this close to the force field?" he asked.

I looked behind us, and was startled to realize that the force field was less than a yard away from our group. I ordered every to stop, and stared at it.

"It doesn't seem to be moving anymore," I stated after a while. "But just in case, let's slope downward back toward the beaches. We don't want to run into that like Cato did."

Nodding, we headed back toward the beach, still circling the jungle ahead of the scheduled traps.

After hours of fruitless searching in the hot, humid jungle, we decided to simply head back to the Cornucopia. There was no telling when the Gamemakers would shrink the arena again, and the force field seemed to be moving toward its center.

It seemed that the last pair of tributes not associated with our alliance thought so as well. We all emerged out of the forest edge at approximately the same time, but they, seeing us immediately, tried to flee back into the jungle. Had it been any other time, I would have laughed at what happened next. The instant they reached the tree line again, they smacked against an invisible wall with a crunch at almost full speed. I felt behind me and realized that it would seem that the Gamemakers had closed off any escape when my fingers met a solid, smooth surface. We would fight now.

"Where do you think Katniss and Cato are?" Rory asked quietly, hand tightening around his bow.

"Probably still in the jungle," Thresh intoned.

"Let's hope the Gamemakers aren't slowly closing the force field around them," I said. "We have bigger problems. Be careful around these two; these are true seasoned fighters."

My group slowly approached the pair, and we paused a few yards away, cautiously eyeing each other.

"May the best man win," the Victor from 10 said. "I'll be sure to give my condolences to Annie for you."

"You wish," I laughed. "I'll be the one offering flowers to your grieving widow."

Memories of our time together at the Capitol since my win flooded through my mind, threatening to break my concentration. I gripped the trident tighter, fighting back the rising tide of emotions.

_Do it fast Odair,_ I told myself internally. _They're like any other tribute. Any other tribute that you've shared laughs with and gotten so trashed with that you couldn't form a coherent thought the next day._

So caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice the spear hurtling toward me until I was pushed to the ground by Peeta. It caught him squarely in the chest, the tip piercing through his chest.

**Katniss POV**

Screaming, I pounded on the invisible barrier with my fists. Peeta.

Why did he do it? What was Finnick doing just standing there?

I needed to get to Peeta. I saved him once last year; I could do it again. I just needed to be able to reach him. Shouting his name, I rammed my shoulder into the wall, hitting it repeatedly with my arm, my elbow, my palms, my bow.

Rough hands grabbed my shoulders, and I fought against it. I fought with nails and teeth against the force that was preventing me from rescuing Peeta. He needed to live. I needed him to be alive. It was my fault he was here and not enjoying his status as Victor in District 12. It was my fault he was doomed to die alone and scared instead of being surrounded by friends and family, alive and happy.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, flailing with my fists. "He needs me. Peeta needs me!"

"He's gone Katniss!" a familiar voice thundered. "He is gone. Finnick too. Their cannons went off a few minutes ago. He's gone."

Dead. I was stunned into silence, and felt my legs give out under me. Instead of the rough landing I had expected though, I was gently lowered to the ground and wrapped in a warm embrace. Vaguely registering that Cato was speaking to me, I finally understood the purpose of the force field slowly collapsing in around us. Snow wanted me to see this. He had us trapped on the other side of the barrier, unable to assist; only to watch helplessly as someone I loved was killed. It didn't matter if it was Rory or Peeta. Both were capable of rendering me useless, leaving Cato and me an easy target for the other tributes.

I scrambled up, pushing aside Cato's arms.

"We need to get to Thresh and Rory," I stated, pulling him behind me. "They might not be able to beat the Victors."

"I thought you said we were done with them," he grunted but not resisting.

"I lost one, Cato," I said, biting back tears at the memory of Peeta impaled on the spear. "I can still help the other."

"Wait!" Cato shouted as I reached the forest's edge. "We don't want to injure ourselves again."

He motioned toward my bloodied and bruised hands before turning to the invisible wall. He struck at the air with his sword, and I was relieved and surprised to see it go cleanly through with no impediments.

"Let's go," he said, leading the way to the beach.

I quickly sprinted around him, my feet sinking into the soft sand, stressing my already tired body further. I was panting by the time I caught site of a male's back.

"Rory!" I yelled, still running toward him.

The next thing I knew, I was spitting sand out of my mouth as an arrow whizzed past my head and bounced off the force field, which had finally shrunk to enclose the beach. Cato, lying heavily on top of me, suddenly rolled us to the left. A spear, still quivering, stuck out of the sand nearby where we had lain earlier.

"It's the other Victors," he growled in my ear, pulling me up.

I processed his words slowly, the scene in front of me finally pulling itself together. The beach was littered with the bodies of our former allies, their blood staining the sand. Peeta was face down in the sand; Finnick laying beside him, face still displaying the shock and despair he must have felt as the electricity coursed through his body. I found Rory and Thresh next to the Cornucopia, but I could see that they, too, were unmoving and more than likely dead.

I had completely failed them. The only person I hadn't failed at this point was Prim. She was the only light at the end of this dark tunnel. I_ would _survive for her.

Ignoring the shouts and pleas from the two other surviving tributes, I strung an arrow onto my bow and released it, whispering Prim's name. I stared, unmoved, as the arrow penetrated one Victor's skull, the other tugging furiously at his cuff, but it was inescapable. I reveled in the booms of the cannons, signaling the deaths of the two people that had been solely responsible for the deaths of two of the most important people to me.

"We did it," Cato whispered beside me, his sword falling from his slack hands. "We've won. We're Victors."

He turned to me and, unexpectedly, drew me into a hard hug and spun me in circles, laughing. I felt the same relief I experienced when I had emerged victorious last year, but it felt different without Peeta. Lopsided.

"Do they always take this long to announce Victors?" Cato asked, confused. He was looking towards the artificial sky of the arena, as if expecting it to open to reveal the hovercraft that was to take us back to the Capitol.

"No, they don't," I murmured. That could only mean one thing- we weren't the only tributes left alive in the arena. "Rory."

In a numb daze, I stumbled to Rory's side, noticing that, while he was unconscious, he didn't have any visible injuries. Thresh, on the other hand, appeared to have had his head smashed against the golden walls of the Cornucopia and, although still breathing, appeared to be just clinging to the last vestiges of life.

"Should I try to wake Rory?" I asked Cato, at a loss for what to do. I knew that Thresh would not live long with that head wound, and felt that Rory would be granted a more peaceful death if he wasn't conscious for it. But I selfishly wanted to talk to him again, to make sure that he forgave me for not being there for him or Peeta when they needed me most.

My mind was made up for me when he stirred, slowly opening his eyes.

"Katniss?" he muttered, wincing when he tried to sit up. "My head is killing me. What happened to Thresh?"

"Rory, he's-" I broke off, unable to continue.

"He's going to die, Rory," Cato supplied. "There's no way around it. His head has been crushed, and I'd expect some pretty massive brain damage and internal bleeding."

"Cato!" I hissed, smacking his stomach.

"No, leave him alone, Katniss," Rory said, laying his head back down in the sand. "I appreciate him being straightforward and honest. It's not something I've encountered a lot of since I left home."

I closed my eyes against his accusations, knowing that he was right. I had promised Gale and myself that I would look after him, only to abandon the team when I couldn't handle it anymore.

"I don't know how much longer I have, Katniss, so look at me," he demanded. "Take care of my family, especially Gale. I already know he's going to take this the hardest. Don't let him blame himself or you, Katniss, do you hear me? Katniss!"

"I'll keep an eye on Gale, Rory, don't you worry about that," I promised.

"Keep Cato around," he added with a weak but roguish grin. "He's alright."

I leaned down, smoothed his dark hair from his forehead, and planted a light kiss on it.

"Katniss," Cato's warned before yanking me backward.

I buried my face in his chest, unable to watch Rory die, jumping when the cannons finally boomed. I had nobody to blame but myself for the outcome of this year's Games.

So I didn't complain when Snow paraded Cato and me around the Capitol after we had been cleaned up from the arena. I didn't complain when he ordered me to seduce Cato. I didn't complain when Snow announced our engagement a few short months later.

I was, however, very surprised when I was approached by a mysterious woman who called herself Paylor, saying that she had a plan to overthrow Snow. I was surprised at its simplicity and the ease in which it was executed. Snow was out of office within a month, all his atrocities laid bare before Panem. He was sent into exile on a northern island, guarded around the clock by Peacekeepers.

Cato never left my side through all of this. I became aware of the softer side of him, a loyal and warm companion that saw me through my darker days. He slowly brought me out of the haze I lived in after the Games were finished. He helped Gale and I work through our problems until we were able to look at each other without the darkness and the anger, until we were able to joke and play like before the Games. The world slowly righted itself, until it was almost indistinguishable from the world before my first Games. The holes that Peeta and Rory left in my life were ever felt, but soon, others filled up those holes, until I was left with only the warm memories and love.

* * *

><p>One morning, years after the completion of the Games and Snow's deposal, I woke up with the strange, but undeniable urge to paint. I slipped out of bed before Cato had risen, planting a light kiss on his cheek, and walked to the store, waiting outside until they opened.<p>

"Katniss!" the shopkeeper exclaimed when he saw me. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"I need painting supplies," I answered.

If he was astonished at my request, he hid it well. We spent the better part of an hour gathering the necessary brushes, paints, canvases, and easels before I was satisfied. Loading the supplies into my car, I drove back to my house, quiet and contemplative. I didn't quite understand the need to put brush to canvas, but I wasn't going to fight it either.

By the time I arrived, Cato had already left for work, although he had left me breakfast and a note.

_Sorry to have missed you this morning. Hope all is well. –C_

Smiling, I wolfed down the small meal and set up the easel in the backyard, facing the forest. I paused, unsure of where to go next. Peeta's face floated through my head, and I imagined him walking out of the forest, a radiant smile on his face. I dipped my brush in paint and smeared it on the canvas…

_6 hours later_

"Katniss, I'm back," I heard Cato shout from the front.

I put the finishing touches on the masterpiece that had taken me the better part of the day.

"In the backyard!" I hollered back. "Come and take a look."

I heard Cato walk through the house, down the back stairs, and felt his arm wrap around my shoulders. He inhaled sharply, and the arm tightened. I anticipated his glorious response to my masterpiece, a work of art that I had put my soul and love into.

"What the heck is that?" he asked, befuddled.

Unamused, I punched him, and stalked back in the house. I didn't say a word to him the entire night, despite his best efforts to get back on my good side.

The next morning, I woke up to the sight of my painting hanging on the wall across from the bed in a beautiful gold frame. Looking at it a second time, I agreed that it wasn't the most remarkable thing I had ever seen. Turning over, I observed Cato quietly. He had taken the time after I had gone to bed to go into town, have the canvas fitted for a frame, and hung it on the wall without me waking. Snorting, I threw myself on top of him, waking him with a grunt, and showed him my full approval and appreciation.

I spent several hours in the backyard, painting memories and dreams, feeling a layer of fear and sadness peel away with each canvas Cato had framed. Our house soon became littered with these, a memory filling up every square inch of the walls. I gave my more recognizable paintings away; a painting of Peeta kneading dough, which his parents put up in the front room of their bakery; a painting of Rory pulling back an arrow, which Hazel hung in her living room; a small painting of Rory laughing, which Prim set on her nightstand; a painting of Gale and Rory wrestling, which I never saw again. I had given it to Gale with the hopes that he would enjoy it as much as the other painting I had done, but he had simply taken it without a word or even expression and walked away.

Years later, I found the painting again, in the forest nailed to a tree. Gale had built a little shrine for it, protecting it from rain and snow. He had visited it daily, talking to it as if he were still conversing with his little brother.

A few months after I had started my hobby, Effie made an impromptu visit. She was immediately taken with my work, and proclaimed that the Capitol would be in a frenzy to have something produced by the Girl on Fire. With her to spread the word, my paintings were suddenly worth thousands, and then millions. Disconcerted with the amount of attention I was receiving again, I allowed her to coordinate the financial and public aspects of it.

One night, as I was preparing for bed, I paused by my first painting of Peeta. My subsequent works had gotten better, but this was still my favorite.

"Thanks, Peeta," I whispered to it. I pressed a kiss onto my fingers, and then onto the center of the painting before sliding into bed, wrapping myself in Cato's warmth.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thanks for reading! This will probably be the last chapter for this story for a while. I'm going to try to focus on my HP story for a bit, but you never know when the creative bug might strike me with this story! I still have a lot of good suggestions for alternate endings that I need to roll around in my head (including one I believe that involves the gang at an amusement park in superhero outfits :p ), so look for those! As always, reviews are appreciated and much loved. Thanks to everyone that made this story possible and helped shape it into what it is today! Major shoutout to my amazing beta :)


	24. Chapter 24: AE3 kind of

_President Paylor's mansion_

Paylor held back a deep sigh and settled on leaning back in her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose as the woman in front of her prattled on. She had been listening to the nonstop assault of pure insanity for almost half an hour as the frantically energetic woman tried to convince her.

"And, you know, it would really boost Capitol spirits, especially in the wake of this disaster of a fashion season. I mean can you really imagine yellow tights with an orange pant? It was almost as if the orchard itself had planted itself into that girl's legs-"

_Not like you've ever seen a real orchard, or been anywhere near District 11_, Paylor thought to herself. She had planned on a nice, quiet evening for herself- a glass of wine and her favorite television show which was premiering that night. Instead, she had been called in for what had been deemed "a crisis situation" by her secretary and confronted by an almost hysterical woman she barely recognized.

Paylor raised a hand when she realized the loquacious fashionista before her had no intentions of ceasing.

"Miss Trinket, you have your dainty finger on the pulse of the Capitol," she said. "I leave it to you to act in whatever way you deem necessary."

Effie let loose an excited, high pitched squeal before bounding out Paylor's office, her wig slightly askew as she rounded the corner too quickly.

A headache formed quickly at her temples from a combination of the insufferable woman's perfume and the glare thrown off of her pale blue hair. She pressed the intercom button to summon her secretary.

"Get me an aspirin and a glass of water," she barked. "And make sure that you properly screen my 'emergencies' next time."

* * *

><p><strong>Katniss POV<strong>

"Katniss! There's a letter from Effie!"

_Perfect, _I thought. _What could that harpy want now?_

"Tell her I'm not here," I shouted back down to Cato. I heard him climbing the steps.

"Even she's not that naïve, Katniss," he said to me from the doorway. "What could it hurt to see what she has to say?"

"You don't know her like I do, Cato," I replied, eyeing the pink envelope in his hand like a bomb. "I promise you she brings no good tidings."

"Relax," he soothed, tearing it open and pulling out a matching pink piece of paper.

"_Dear Katniss and Cato,_" he read. _"Please be sure to tune into the evening news at 6:45pm tonight. A special announcement involving you and your friends will be revealed. I hope you love it as much as I do. Effie."_

"That didn't sound too bad," he muttered. "She just wants us to watch TV."

"Just wait. You'll see"

At exactly 6:45, Cato dragged me out of the kitchen where I had been wiping down our counters for the third time and sat on my legs to prevent me from getting up from the couch.

"Geez, I think you've gained a few pounds," I grumbled as I lost feeling in my feet.

He simply shushed me and turned his rapt attention to the television.

"-and the zookeeper ensured us that the penguin was not going to suffer any lasting effects from his escapades with the ice cream machine," rattled the newsreporter, giving a small, tinkling laugh which made me roll my eyes. "And in fashion news, Capitol fashion guru and Hunger Games icon Effie Trinket joins us with some special, breaking news!"

Effie's brightly painted face filled the screen, her hair a brilliant shade of mauve and her lips a shocking plum.

"She looks like a drowning victim," I muttered to Cato, who snorted.

"Thank you so much!" Effie gushed, obviously thrilled to be back in the limelight. "I have exciting news for Capitol and District residents alike. President Paylor, herself, has granted me special permission to film a TV special in light of the disaster that was last month's Fashion Week. I believe that this year in fashion, the look everybody will be sporting will be-"

She cut off dramatically, an eerie sparkle in her eye. My stomach rolled with nerves and I was filled with apprehension.

"Superheroes!"

As she belted out the last word, the screen was filled with variations of superheroes that had been splashed across movie screens for years. Superman, Superwoman, Batman, Catwoman, Aquaman, and several others that I could not name were flashed in front of us as I sat, still waiting for the bad news. There was no way that Effie specifically asked us to watch the news without it involving me at some point.

"And to make it extra special, I have been given permission to use-"

Again she paused dramatically, clapping her hands while a wide, vapid smile covered her face.

"The Victors from past Hunger Games as our models!"

There it was- the reason that Cato was currently wrestling with me on the floor as I fumbled for something to throw at the television. Paylor had apparently authorized this; she was dead. If I had known this was in my future, I would have thrown myself into the force field in the arena.

"Aaaaaand," Effie's voice screeched, making Cato and I freeze, him still straddling me. "As a special treat to Panem's citizens, we're letting you, the viewers, choose which Victors will be involved and which superhero they will be modeling. Imaginations abound and, Victors, may the odds be ever in your favor!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I thought that this might be a fun little thing that you guys could be a part of. I'm requesting that the Superheroes you nominate to be well known (something that I can easily find a costume and personality for on Wikipedia. I also hope that you'll keep the pairs together so that they can be paired superheroes as well (ex: Finnick/Annie as Batman and Catwoman, etc.). I'll keep this going as long as there seems to be an interest in it, and publish the chapter with the results! Majority wins, so if you see a pair you like that somebody else nominated, let me know that you like that pair as well. Thanks and let's have some fun with these guys!


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